Claude in Zed — Instant Key, No Waitlist

Getting Claude into Zed usually stalls on two things: not having Anthropic access, and discovering that Zed's native provider will not take a custom URL. A bought key from claudeapikey.dev solves the first, and the openai_compatible block solves the second. WELCOME5 gives you five dollars of free credit to try it.

Buy the key, skip the account

You do not need to sign up with Anthropic or wait for access.

That bought key behaves like an Anthropic key wherever a tool accepts one, which is what makes the rest of this setup short. There is no organisation to join and nothing to be approved for.

For Zed this is doubly convenient, because the editor's setup is already a config-file affair rather than a console login. With a key in hand you never touch a provider dashboard at all — you just paste the key and the URL into Zed and you are done. With no dashboard in the loop, a bought key turns Zed setup into a pure config-file exercise. Everything you need lives in settings.json and the keychain.

Use openai_compatible, not the native provider

Zed's built-in Anthropic provider has no field for a custom base URL, so it cannot point at claudeapikey.dev. The fix is the openai_compatible block, which does expose api_url and is meant for third-party endpoints.

Knowing this up front saves the most common dead end people hit with Zed. You add a named provider in settings.json and aim it at the service instead of fighting the native provider.

If you have already tried pasting your bought key into Zed's Anthropic provider and found nowhere to change the URL, this is why. Nothing is wrong with your key; the native provider simply has no URL field, so move it over to the openai_compatible block and it works. Knowing the native provider simply lacks the field spares you a long, fruitless hunt for it. The openai_compatible block is where the URL belongs, and it has always been there.

Point it and list a model

Set api_url to {SITE}/v1 — Zed targets /chat/completions below that. Then declare your models in available_models, starting with claude-sonnet-4-5 and adding claude-opus-4-8 if you want a heavier option.

Each entry needs a name matching the service id, a display_name for the menu, and a max_tokens. Because you list them by hand, the model menu shows exactly the bought-key models you intend to use.

Copy the model id straight from the service rather than typing it, since the name field has to match it exactly or the model errors when you select it. The display_name beside it is free text, so you can label the menu entries however reads clearest to you. A copied id and a clear display_name are all the model entry really needs to behave. Get the name right and selection works on the first try.

Key in the keychain, free credit to test

Zed stores the key in the OS keychain or reads it from an env var named for the provider, such as AIPRIME_API_KEY, so it never sits in your settings file. Enter your purchased key once when prompted.

Top up only after you have seen Claude answer inside Zed — there is no subscription and no commitment.

Use that free credit to make sure the whole chain is right before paying — the api_url, the model name, and the key all working together. Once a couple of assistant replies come back cleanly, you know the setup is sound and can decide whether to add credit at your own pace. The free credit is best spent confirming the full chain before you decide to add more. A couple of clean replies tell you the api_url, model, and key all line up.

Native route if you need it

If you want native Anthropic behaviour, run Claude Code as a Zed agent over the Agent Client Protocol and give Claude Code your bought key plus the service base URL through ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL.

That keeps Zed itself out of the URL question entirely. Either way, a purchased key is all the credential you need — no Anthropic onboarding sits between you and a working editor.

The same bought key works in both routes, so you can start with the simpler openai_compatible block and move to ACP later without buying anything new. Whichever you pick, the credential is the key you purchased and nothing more. Either route uses the same purchased key, so you are never locked into the first choice you make. Start simple and graduate to ACP whenever you want a fuller agent.

// Zed settings.json
{
  "language_models": {
    "openai_compatible": {
      "aiprime": {
        "api_url": "https://claudeapikey.dev/v1",
        "available_models": [
          { "name": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
            "display_name": "Claude Sonnet",
            "max_tokens": 200000 }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}
// Key goes in the keychain / AIPRIME_API_KEY env var, NOT this file.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an Anthropic account to use Claude in Zed?
No. Buy a key from claudeapikey.dev and use it in Zed's openai_compatible block with api_url {SITE}/v1.

Why won't Zed's Anthropic provider take my URL?
Its native Anthropic provider has no api_url field. Use the openai_compatible block, which does, and point it at the service.

Where does the bought key go?
In the OS keychain or an env var named after the provider, such as AIPRIME_API_KEY — not in settings.json.

Claude API Key is an independent API gateway. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a reseller of Anthropic. Claude and related model names are trademarks of their respective owners.