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Overview

Claude Code is Anthropic’s official CLI tool for AI-assisted coding. You can configure it to use LemonData as the API provider.

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Installation

Anthropic now recommends the native installer. npm installation still exists for compatibility, but it is deprecated upstream. 
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
If you specifically need the npm package, use: 
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
Do not use sudo npm install -g for Claude Code.

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Configuration

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Environment Variables

Set the following environment variables: 
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-your-lemondata-key"
export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="https://api.lemondata.cc"
Add these to your shell profile (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.) for persistence.
For LemonData, keep ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL at https://api.lemondata.cc without a /v1 suffix. This matches the Anthropic-style endpoint shape and the unified gateway pattern documented by Claude Code.

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Configuration File

Alternatively, create or edit ~/.claude/settings.json: 
{
  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "sk-your-lemondata-key",
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://api.lemondata.cc"
  }
}

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Usage

After configuration, use Claude Code normally: 
# Start an interactive session
claude

# Run a single command
claude "Explain this code" < main.py

# Chat mode
claude chat
Verify the installation if needed: 
claude --version
claude doctor

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Available Models

LemonData supports all Claude models:
ModelDescription
claude-opus-4-6Most capable, complex reasoning
claude-sonnet-4-6Balanced performance, excellent for coding
claude-haiku-4-5Fastest, cost-effective

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Model Selection

Specify a model with the --model flag: 
claude --model claude-sonnet-4-6 "Review this PR"
Or set a default in your configuration: 
{
  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "sk-your-lemondata-key",
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://api.lemondata.cc"
  },
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6"
}

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Extended Thinking

For complex reasoning tasks, use models with extended thinking: 
claude --model claude-opus-4-6 "Design a microservices architecture for..."

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Troubleshooting

Verify the base URL is exactly https://api.lemondata.cc (no /v1 suffix for Anthropic-style requests).
Ensure your LemonData API key starts with sk- and has sufficient balance.
Claude Code’s gateway mode also supports ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN. Keep using ANTHROPIC_API_KEY for the standard LemonData setup unless you intentionally switched your gateway auth behavior.
Check the model name is correct. Use claude-sonnet-4-6 format.