Configure a model provider

Claude Code talks to Anthropic by default. Switching it to HopsAPI takes two values:

If you already know where those go, that's the whole story. Otherwise pick one of the three methods below — they all end in the same place:

Before you start

Create an API key

Open the console's API Keys page (1) and click + Create API Key at the top right (2). For the full flow, including model selection and spend limits, see Create an API key.

Install CC Switch

Methods A and B both land the configuration through CC Switch, an open-source provider manager that handles the whole setup through a UI, with no JSON or environment variable to edit by hand. Skip this step if you're going with Method C.

Requires macOS 12+, Windows 10+, Ubuntu 22.04+ / Debian 11+ / Fedora 34+.

Method A: one-click import from the console

The console builds a complete HopsAPI provider configuration and hands it to CC Switch. The request URL, configuration name, and models all arrive filled in — you only paste the key.

Step 1: Generate the import

Back on the API Keys page, click Import to CC Switch on the right of the "How do I use an API key?" card, then:

1. Set Application to Claude.
2. Paste the key you just copied into API Key (boxed in red). The request URL https://hopsapi.com and the configuration name HopsAPI are already filled in — leave them alone.
3. Once the key registers, the model dropdowns below populate with the models your account can use. The defaults are fine; the primary model and the Haiku / Sonnet / Opus tiers can each be changed if you want.
4. Leave Enable after import on so the provider becomes active as soon as it lands.
5. Click Open CC Switch at the bottom right (circled in red).

Step 2: Confirm the import in CC Switch

Your browser launches CC Switch, which opens a confirmation dialog. Check that the application type reads Claude, the API endpoint is https://hopsapi.com, and the masked key matches, then click Import.

The provider now sits in the CC Switch list, editable or removable at any time. Skip ahead to Verify.

Method B: add it in CC Switch by hand

With CC Switch installed, you can also fill in every field yourself.

Step 1: Add a provider

Open CC Switch, select Claude Code at the top (1), then click the + button at the top right (2).

Step 2: Fill in the configuration

Fill in the red-boxed fields below, leave everything else at its default, and click + Add at the bottom right.

CC Switch writes ~/.claude/settings.json for you; there's nothing to edit by hand.

Step 3: Enable the provider

Back in the list, hover the HopsAPI-Claude row and click the Enable button that appears. The row stays highlighted while it's the active provider.

In the screenshot, the red circle marks the same button set revealed by hovering a different row, and HopsAPI-Claude is the one already highlighted as active.

Method C: manual setup

Without CC Switch, two environment variables are all it takes:

# macOS / Linux — add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc to persist
export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="https://hopsapi.com"
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-YOUR_KEY"

# Windows (PowerShell) — reopen the terminal afterwards
setx ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL "https://hopsapi.com"
setx ANTHROPIC_API_KEY "sk-YOUR_KEY"

For a project-scoped setup, put the same two values under env in .claude/settings.json (or ~/.claude/settings.json for a user-wide default):

{
  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://hopsapi.com",
    "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "sk-YOUR_KEY"
  }
}

Verify

In a project directory, start Claude Code:

cd your-project
claude

Press Esc to skip the sign-in prompt on first launch. Check the header: API Usage Billing means it's billing through the API, and the item before it is the active model.

If both look right, you're set. Send any message to start using it.

To inspect the resolved configuration, run /status in the session:

/status

Check the two lines boxed in red below:

• Anthropic base URL should read https://hopsapi.com
• Model is the model actually in use

Pick a model

Use /model to switch models mid-session. To pin a default instead, set:

export ANTHROPIC_MODEL="claude-sonnet-5"

The available Claude model ids are in available models, and the underlying request/response shape is in Anthropic format. Claude Code sends max_tokens and system in Anthropic's native format automatically — nothing extra to configure.

Troubleshooting