Claude API Key Configuration — Create, Manage & Secure

What Is a Claude API Key?

A Claude API key is a secret token that authenticates your requests to Anthropic's Claude models — including Claude Opus 4, Claude Sonnet 4, and Claude Haiku 3.5. ClaudeStore acts as an API gateway, providing instant key provisioning without the Anthropic waitlist.

Each key works with both the Anthropic Messages API and the OpenAI Chat Completions API, making it compatible with virtually every AI-powered tool — Cursor IDE, Claude Code, VS Code extensions, and custom applications.

Creating Your First API Key

Getting a Claude API key from ClaudeStore takes under two minutes:

1. Log in to your ClaudeStore dashboard
2. Navigate to API Keys
3. Click Create Key
4. Set an optional name and per-key credit limit
5. Copy and securely store your key — it starts with sk-cs2-

Per-Key Controls & Usage Tracking

ClaudeStore gives you fine-grained control over every API key:

• Credit limit — Cap the maximum spend per key to prevent runaway costs
• Usage tracking — Monitor token consumption, request counts, and cost per model in real time
• Instant revocation — Disable a compromised or unused key without affecting others
• Multiple keys — Create separate keys for development, staging, and production environments

Storing API Keys Securely

Follow these best practices to keep your Claude API credentials safe:

• Store keys in environment variables (.env files), never in source code
• Add .env to your .gitignore to prevent accidental commits
• Use a secrets manager (Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, Doppler) in production
• Set per-key credit limits to cap exposure if a key leaks
• Rotate keys periodically — create a new key, update configs, then revoke the old one
• Never expose API keys in client-side JavaScript or public repositories

Using Your Key with IDEs and Tools

ClaudeStore API keys are drop-in replacements for Anthropic keys. Just set the base URL to https://api2.claudestore.store and use your sk-cs2- key:

• Cursor — Set the API key in Cursor Settings → Models → Anthropic
• Claude Code — Use a sk-cs2-* key, set ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://api2.claudestore.store and ANTHROPIC_API_KEY (not ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN)
• VS Code — Configure in extension settings with custom endpoint
• OpenAI SDK — Use the /v1/chat/completions endpoint for tools expecting OpenAI format

Ready to get started? Buy Claude API credits and create your first key in under 2 minutes. See our Quickstart guide for a complete walkthrough.