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.