For use with CouncilAI
Claude's API is a separate product from the Claude.ai chat app — even if you already have a Claude subscription, you'll need to set up API access specifically. It takes about five minutes and only needs to be done once.
This isn't free. Anthropic's API is pay-as-you-go — you add a payment method and are billed for what you actually use. Typical CouncilAI conversations cost fractions of a cent to a few cents each. You control the spend by only using CouncilAI when you want to.
Visit console.anthropic.com — this is the developer platform, separate from claude.ai. Sign up with an email address or Google sign-in.
You'll be asked to add a credit or debit card and purchase an initial amount of credit. This is required before your key will work — Anthropic uses a prepaid credit system.
In the left sidebar, click Settings → API Keys (or go directly to console.anthropic.com/settings/keys). Click Create Key, give it a name like "CouncilAI", and click Create.
Your key starts with sk-ant-. It's shown only once — copy it immediately. If you close the dialog without copying, you'll need to create a new one.
Once you have your key, go back to CouncilAI and paste it into the Claude field in Settings, then click Test & Save. CouncilAI will verify the key works before saving it.
Once your key is set up, it's worth setting a monthly spend limit in the Console so you're never surprised by usage. This is optional but recommended, especially the first time you're trying API billing.
Email contact@councilai.ca if you get stuck.