Anthropic (Claude)

The recommended provider — get an API key from Anthropic and paste it into Beach Settings.

What this is

Anthropic makes Claude, and Claude is the provider we recommend for most Beach users. To use it, you sign up with Anthropic, create an API key, and paste it into Beach Settings. Beach stores the key encrypted, and your agent uses it from that point on. You pay Anthropic directly for the tokens your agent uses — Beach doesn't mark up or resell.

Steps

  1. Go to console.anthropic.com and sign in (or create an account).
  2. Add a payment method. Anthropic requires a card on file before any API key will actually work. Without this, your agent will fail to reach Claude even with a valid-looking key.
  3. In the Anthropic console, open API Keys and click Create Key. Give it a name like "Beach" so you can identify it later.
  4. Copy the key. It starts with sk-ant-…. You'll only see it once — copy it carefully.
  5. Open Beach Settings and find the AI Provider section.
  6. Choose Anthropic, paste your key, and save.

That's it. Your agent will use Claude on its next message.

Common pitfalls

  • Forgot to add a payment method on Anthropic. The key looks valid but every request fails. If your agent goes silent after you paste a key, this is the most common cause — go back to console.anthropic.com and confirm a card is on file.
  • Whitespace on either end of the key. Pasting from some clipboards adds a space or newline. Double-check there's nothing extra before you save.
  • Key revoked or rotated on Anthropic's side. If you ever delete or rotate the key in Anthropic's console, your agent will start failing — paste a fresh key into Beach Settings.

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