Setting up Claude Code.
A short pre-event walkthrough so the API credits work from the first prompt on the night. Front-loading this saves 30 minutes of setup time during the build.
Do steps 01.01 through 01.03 once the claim link goes live (16:00 on event day, Tue 26 May). Do 01.04 through 01.06 any time before the night — earlier is better.
Create an Anthropic Console account.
Sign up at console.anthropic.com. Use the email you registered for the hackathon with, so the credits land on the right account.
The Console is the developer surface for the Claude API — separate from Claude.ai (the chat app). You need a Console account, not a Claude.ai subscription.
Claim and confirm your credits.
The claim link goes live on the event page at 16:00 on Tue 26 May. Open it, sign in to Console, and submit your Organization ID (Console → Settings, not your Claude.ai user ID — UUIDs are rejected).
After claiming, go to Console → Billing. You should see the credits applied to your organisation within a few minutes.
Generate an API key.
Console → Settings → API Keys → Create Key. Copy the key once — you can’t view it again.
The key starts with sk-ant-…. Treat it like a password; don’t paste it into public chats or git.
Install Claude Code.
Pick one. The IDE extensions all use the CLI under the hood, so installing the CLI is the prerequisite either way.
- Terminal (CLI):
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code, then runclaudein any project directory. - VS Code or Cursor: install the “Claude Code” extension from the marketplace.
- JetBrains (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.): install via the JetBrains plugin marketplace.
Heads-up: Claude Code on the Web and the Claude.ai desktop app run on a subscription and cannot be billed against API credits. For the hackathon, stick to the local CLI or an IDE extension.
Set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY in your environment.
This is how Claude Code knows to bill against API credits instead of asking for a subscription login.
macOS / Linux (zsh): add to ~/.zshrc:
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."For bash, use ~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_profile. Reload your shell (source ~/.zshrc) or open a new terminal.
Windows: System Properties → Environment Variables → New. Name: ANTHROPIC_API_KEY. Value: your key. Restart your terminal afterwards.
Verify with /status.
In a project directory, run claude. Inside the session, type /status.
You should see “API Key” (or similar) as the auth method. That confirms Claude Code is billing against your console credits, not a Pro/Max subscription.
If you already have a Pro/Max subscription, the ANTHROPIC_API_KEY env var takes precedence once you re-authenticate — Claude Code’s docs phrase this as “the API key takes precedence once approved.” If /status still shows the subscription, your shell didn’t inherit the env var; check with echo $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY from the same terminal.
When something doesn’t add up.
The common ones, with the fix.
- Credits don't appear in Console.
- Wait a few minutes after claiming. If still missing after 30 minutes, double-check you submitted your Organization ID (Console → Settings) and not your Claude.ai user UUID — that's the most common rejection.
- /status still shows my Pro or Max subscription.
- Your shell isn't inheriting the env var. Run echo $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY in the same terminal Claude Code runs in. If it prints nothing, the variable isn't exported in that shell. Reload your shell profile or open a fresh terminal.
- What about Claude.ai or Claude Code on the Web?
- Those run on subscriptions and can't be billed against API credits. For the hackathon, use the local CLI or an IDE extension (VS Code, Cursor, JetBrains).
- Can I use the credits after the hackathon?
- Yes, until they expire — Anthropic sets the expiry on issue. Check Console → Billing for the exact date on your credits.
Before the night: reply to the prep email. On the night: ask a host — they’ll be in the room.