Claude Code CLI Provider

March 17, 2026 · View on GitHub

Use your Claude Max subscription ($200/month) with any OpenAI-compatible client — no separate API costs!

This provider wraps the Claude Code CLI as a subprocess and exposes an OpenAI-compatible HTTP API, allowing tools like Clawdbot, Continue.dev, or any OpenAI-compatible client to use your Claude Max subscription instead of paying per-API-call.

Why This Exists

Approach	Cost	Limitation
Claude API	~$15/M input, ~$75/M output tokens	Pay per use
Claude Max	$200/month flat	OAuth blocked for third-party API use
This Provider	$0 extra (uses Max subscription)	Routes through CLI

Anthropic blocks OAuth tokens from being used directly with third-party API clients. However, the Claude Code CLI can use OAuth tokens. This provider bridges that gap by wrapping the CLI and exposing a standard API.

How It Works

Your App (Clawdbot, etc.)
         ↓
    HTTP Request (OpenAI format)
         ↓
   Claude Code CLI Provider (this project)
         ↓
   Claude Code CLI (subprocess)
         ↓
   OAuth Token (from Max subscription)
         ↓
   Anthropic API
         ↓
   Response → OpenAI format → Your App

Features

OpenAI-compatible API — Works with any client that supports OpenAI's API format
Streaming support — Real-time token streaming via Server-Sent Events
Multiple models — Claude Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku
Session management — Maintains conversation context
Auto-start service — Optional LaunchAgent for macOS
Zero configuration — Uses existing Claude CLI authentication
Secure by design — Uses spawn() to prevent shell injection

Prerequisites

Claude Max subscription ($200/month) — Subscribe here

Claude Code CLI installed and authenticated:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
claude auth login

Installation

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code-cli-provider.git
cd claude-code-cli-provider

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build
npm run build

Usage

Start the server

node dist/server/standalone.js

The server runs at http://localhost:3456 by default.

Test it

# Health check
curl http://localhost:3456/health

# List models
curl http://localhost:3456/v1/models

# Chat completion (non-streaming)
curl -X POST http://localhost:3456/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "claude-opus-4",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
  }'

# Chat completion (streaming)
curl -N -X POST http://localhost:3456/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "claude-opus-4",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}],
    "stream": true
  }'

API Endpoints

Endpoint	Method	Description
`/health`	GET	Health check
`/v1/models`	GET	List available models
`/v1/chat/completions`	POST	Chat completions (streaming & non-streaming)

Available Models

Model ID	Maps To
`claude-opus-4`	Claude Opus 4.5
`claude-sonnet-4`	Claude Sonnet 4
`claude-haiku-4`	Claude Haiku 4

Configuration with Popular Tools

Clawdbot

Clawdbot has built-in support for Claude CLI OAuth! Check your config:

clawdbot models status

If you see anthropic:claude-cli=OAuth, you're already using your Max subscription.

Continue.dev

Add to your Continue config:

{
  "models": [{
    "title": "Claude (Max)",
    "provider": "openai",
    "model": "claude-opus-4",
    "apiBase": "http://localhost:3456/v1",
    "apiKey": "not-needed"
  }]
}

Generic OpenAI Client (Python)

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    base_url="http://localhost:3456/v1",
    api_key="not-needed"  # Any value works
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="claude-opus-4",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
)

Auto-Start on macOS

Create a LaunchAgent to start the provider automatically on login. See docs/macos-setup.md for detailed instructions.

Architecture

src/
├── types/
│   ├── claude-cli.ts      # Claude CLI JSON output types
│   └── openai.ts          # OpenAI API types
├── adapter/
│   ├── openai-to-cli.ts   # Convert OpenAI requests → CLI format
│   └── cli-to-openai.ts   # Convert CLI responses → OpenAI format
├── subprocess/
│   └── manager.ts         # Claude CLI subprocess management
├── session/
│   └── manager.ts         # Session ID mapping
├── server/
│   ├── index.ts           # Express server setup
│   ├── routes.ts          # API route handlers
│   └── standalone.ts      # Entry point
└── index.ts               # Package exports

Security

Uses Node.js spawn() instead of shell execution to prevent injection attacks
No API keys stored or transmitted by this provider
All authentication handled by Claude CLI's secure keychain storage
Prompts passed as CLI arguments, not through shell interpretation

Cost Savings Example

Usage	API Cost	With This Provider
1M input tokens/month	~$15	$0 (included in Max)
500K output tokens/month	~$37.50	$0 (included in Max)
Monthly Total	~$52.50	$0 extra

If you're already paying for Claude Max, this provider lets you use that subscription for API-style access at no additional cost.

Troubleshooting

"Claude CLI not found"

Install and authenticate the CLI:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
claude auth login

Streaming returns immediately with no content

Ensure you're using -N flag with curl (disables buffering):

curl -N -X POST http://localhost:3456/v1/chat/completions ...

Server won't start

Check that the Claude CLI is in your PATH:

which claude

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