Anthropic's Claude is the AI that plans, designs, writes and checks your app. You pay Anthropic directly, at Anthropic's prices, for what it uses. Starwisp never sees, stores or resells your key. It stays in your own GitHub secrets.
API key only. Claude Pro and Max subscriptions cannot be used. Anthropic's rules point automated products to API keys. By using your key you accept Anthropic's Commercial Terms and Usage Policy, and your prompts and code go to Anthropic under your own agreement with them. Starwisp is not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic.
Time: about 10 minutes. Needs: a card for billing.
Steps #
- Open https://console.anthropic.com and sign up or sign in. Add billing (a payment method and credit) so API calls are accepted.
- Go to Settings → Limits and set a monthly spend limit. Do this first. It is the hard backstop that Starwisp does not control. See costs for what number to start with.
- Go to Settings → API keys and click Create Key. Name it
starwisp. If the console lets you put the key in its own workspace, do that and set the limit on that workspace. - Copy the key now; it is shown once. It starts with
sk-ant-api03-.
Least privilege: use a key made only for Starwisp, so you can revoke it without touching anything else. Do not reuse a key from another project.
Where it goes #
Console → Settings → Vault → card Anthropic API key → field API key (stored as the GitHub Actions secret ANTHROPIC_API_KEY in <org>/factory). Click Test now.
You should now see a passing test on the card.
Idea Studio (the chat that helps you shape an idea before you click Build it) reads its own copy, the Cloudflare Worker secret ANTHROPIC_API_KEY. The installer does not set it. From your factory/console folder run npx wrangler secret put ANTHROPIC_API_KEY and paste the same key. The Setup page cannot set Worker secrets for you.
Do not use the Vault card named Claude Code token (CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN). It is for a subscription token, which is not supported.
What it gates #
- Every agent stage of a run (vision, design, backend, build, security, verify, experience, launch, retro). Nothing runs without it.
- Idea Studio.
- AI features inside the apps you build, if you add them.
What it costs #
You pay Anthropic per use. One measured run cost about $290 in Claude before Launch on the full-crew settings. Estimate: a Prototype about $135 to $225 (typical about $170; it uses lighter crews and Sonnet helpers), Ship to testers about $265 to $310. See costs for the per-stage numbers.
Slow prerequisites #
None. A new account with billing is usable the same day. Anthropic may start new accounts on low usage tiers with low rate limits; if runs slow down or fail with rate-limit messages, see troubleshooting.
If the test fails #
| You see | Do this |
|---|---|
| Anthropic rejected the key (401) | Keys start with sk-ant-. Copy the whole key, and check billing is on. |
| A subscription-looking token | Not supported. Create an API key instead. |
Plain-text version of this page: /docs/vendors/anthropic.md. This page is copied from the product's own docs, so it matches the release you install.