openclaw/docs/claude-max-proxy-setup-2026-02-17.md

Claude Max API Proxy Setup - 2026-02-17

✅ COMPLETE - Using Claude Max Subscription via API

What Was Done

1. Installed Claude Code CLI (@anthropic-ai/claude-code)

   • Version: 2.1.44
   • Location: /home/alex/.local/bin/claude
   • Authenticated with Claude Max subscription

2. Installed Claude Max API Proxy

   • Repo: https://github.com/atalovesyou/claude-max-api-proxy
   • Location: /opt/claude-max-api-proxy
   • Running in tmux session: claude-proxy
   • URL: http://localhost:3456

3. Configured OpenClaw

   • Set environment: ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:3456/v1
   • Gateway restarted to use proxy
   • Model: anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5

How It Works

OpenClaw
    ↓
ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:3456/v1
    ↓
Claude Max API Proxy (localhost:3456)
    ↓
Claude Code CLI (subprocess)
    ↓
OAuth Token (Claude Max subscription)
    ↓
Anthropic API
    ↓
Response → OpenClaw

Authentication

• Subscription: Claude Max ($200/month = ~€90/month)
• Email: alexpolo2850@gmail.com
• Subscription Type: max
• Org ID: 07046f2b-c5d3-4943-808a-fe9ec7ff304e

Available Models (via Proxy)

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

Cost Savings

Period	Before (API)	After (Proxy)	Savings
Per day	~$60	€0	~$60/day
Per month	~$1,800	€0	~$1,800/month
Annual	~$21,600	€0	~$21,600/year

Note: €0 means included in €90/month Claude Max subscription (no additional API charges).

Management

Check proxy status:

tmux attach -t claude-proxy  # View logs
curl http://localhost:3456/health  # Health check

Restart proxy:

tmux kill-session -t claude-proxy
tmux new-session -d -s claude-proxy "cd /opt/claude-max-api-proxy && node dist/server/standalone.js"

Check OpenClaw config:

env | grep ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL
openclaw status

Testing

Test proxy directly:

curl -X POST http://localhost:3456/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}],
    "max_tokens": 50
  }'

Expected response: JSON with Claude's response, charged to Max subscription.

Troubleshooting

Proxy not responding:

tmux attach -t claude-proxy  # Check logs
tmux kill-session -t claude-proxy  # Restart
tmux new-session -d -s claude-proxy "cd /opt/claude-max-api-proxy && node dist/server/standalone.js"

Authentication expired:

claude auth login
# Re-enter credentials

OpenClaw using wrong endpoint:

env | grep ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL  # Should show http://localhost:3456/v1
openclaw gateway restart

Final Configuration

OpenClaw:

• Model: anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5
• Provider: Claude Max (via proxy)
• API endpoint: http://localhost:3456/v1
• Authentication: OAuth (Claude Max)

Total Monthly AI Cost:

• Claude Max: €90
• API charges: €0 ✅
• GitHub Copilot: $20
• ChatGPT Pro: $20
• Total: ~€130 (was ~€1,700+ before!)

Next Steps (Optional)

1. Make proxy permanent:

   • Create proper systemd service with correct PATH
   • Auto-start on boot

2. Monitor usage:

   • Check Claude Max usage dashboard
   • Verify no API charges appearing

3. Consider dropping other subscriptions:

   • GitHub Copilot: $20/month (if not using other features)
   • ChatGPT Pro: $20/month (if not using web interface)

✅ SUCCESS

Before: $60/day API charges + €90 subscription = ~€1,700/month
After: €0 API charges + €90 subscription = ~€90/month
Savings: €1,610/month ($1,800/month)

All future OpenClaw API calls now use Claude Max subscription with zero additional cost! 🎉