Use Claude Code with DGrid

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Before you start

• A macOS computer with an internet connection. The Terminal commands below use Zsh, the default macOS shell.
• A DGrid account with available credits and access to your chosen Claude model.
• For the npm installation method: Node.js 22 or later and npm. Installation instructions are included below.

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Step 1 Create a DGrid API key and select a model

1. Sign in to DGrid and open API Keys.
2. Click Create New Key, name it, and create the key.
3. Copy the key for the configuration steps below. Keep the full key out of screenshots and shared files.
4. In DGrid’s model list, find an available Claude model and copy its complete model ID. This guide uses anthropic/claude-opus-5.5.

• CLI
• Desktop

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Step 2 Install Claude Code

If Claude Code is already installed, run claude --version and continue to Step 3 if it prints a version number.

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Install with npm

First check whether Node.js and npm are available:

node -v
npm -v

If either command is missing, or Node.js is older than 22, install the current LTS version from the Node.js download page. Choose the macOS installer, which includes npm. Open a new Terminal window after installation and run the two commands again.Install Claude Code into your user directory:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code --prefix "$HOME/.local"

Add the installation directory to this terminal’s PATH and check the version:

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
claude --version

No sudo is needed for this user-directory installation. To make the PATH setting available in new terminals, add the same export PATH line to ~/.zshrc with a text editor.

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Alternative: native installer

You can instead use the official native installer. This method does not require a separate Node.js installation:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

After installation, open a new terminal and check claude --version. If the command is unavailable, add ~/.local/bin to PATH using the command above. Choose one installation method. If the script URL returns HTML or fails to download, use the npm method after installing Node.js.

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Step 3 Configure DGrid in the current terminal

Run this block in Zsh. Its final command prompts for the key without displaying your input:

export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="https://api.dgrid.ai"
unset ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
export ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN
read -rs "ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN?Paste your DGrid API key (hidden): "

At Paste your DGrid API key (hidden):, paste your DGrid API key and press Enter. The terminal returns to its prompt; the key remains hidden.Continue in this same terminal so Claude Code inherits the variables. These settings apply to this terminal session. For a new terminal, repeat this step or use the optional project settings below.If you previously configured another provider, its settings may still apply. An unset command removes a shell variable but does not remove an entry from a settings file. Check the effective connection in Step 5; see Troubleshooting if another credential is detected.

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Step 4 Start Claude Code

Create a separate folder for your first session, then start Claude Code with the complete DGrid model ID:

mkdir -p "$HOME/dgrid-claude-demo"
cd "$HOME/dgrid-claude-demo"
claude --model "anthropic/claude-opus-5.5"

If Claude Code asks whether you trust this folder, check the path and select Yes, I trust this folder for the folder you just created. Complete any first-launch appearance prompts.

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Step 5 Check the active connection

Inside Claude Code, enter:

/status

The Status tab should show:

Status field	Expected value
Auth token	ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN
Anthropic base URL	https://api.dgrid.ai
Model	anthropic/claude-opus-5.5

If you chose another Claude model, check for that complete model ID instead. Press Esc to return to the conversation.

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Step 6 Send your first message

Enter:

Reply with exactly: DGrid connection successful

Press Enter and wait for the reply:

DGrid connection successful

You can now continue using Claude Code through DGrid. To view usage, open DGrid’s request history and find the corresponding model and request time. A completed request is marked Success.

Token counts and charges depend on the request. The screenshot is one example, including its cache-write usage.

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Optional: save settings for this project

To reuse the connection without entering shell variables each time, configure .claude/settings.local.json inside your project. Before creating it, add .claude/settings.local.json to the project’s .gitignore so the credential stays out of version control.Create or edit the local settings file, replacing the placeholder with your DGrid key:

{
  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://api.dgrid.ai",
    "ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN": "<your-dgrid-api-key>",
    "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": ""
  },
  "model": "anthropic/claude-opus-5.5"
}

Merge these fields with any existing local settings. This stores the key in a local file; keep that file private. In a new terminal, enter the project folder and run claude. Use /status to check the active settings again. See the official gateway settings guidance for configuration scopes.

Claude Code is also available in the Claude desktop app’s Code tab. Configure its gateway separately from the CLI. Terminal environment variables do not configure the desktop app’s third-party inference connection.

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1 Open third-party inference settings

1. Download and install the Claude desktop app for macOS, then open it.
2. In the macOS menu bar, choose Help → Troubleshooting → Enable Developer Mode.
3. If prompted, allow the app to restart. Then choose Developer → Configure Third-Party Inference….
4. If an existing gateway error offers Open Setup, that button also opens the configuration window.

If the Developer menu disappears after applying your first third-party configuration, enable Developer Mode again from Help. The official in-app configuration guide describes this behavior and the local Apply Changes option.

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2 Enter the DGrid connection details

Open Connection and use these values:

Field	Enter or select
Inference provider	Gateway
Credential kind	Static API key
Gateway base URL	https://api.dgrid.ai
Gateway API key	Your DGrid API key
Gateway auth scheme	bearer

Leave Artifact preview iframe origin at its default for this setup. Keep the key hidden using the eye icon before taking screenshots.

Click Apply Changes to apply the configuration locally. The app restarts. You can also use Test connection in the settings window to inspect connectivity; if it fails, open the error details and check the reported model and response.

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3 Select the model and start a local session

1. Open the Code tab and start a new session.
2. Select This computer as the environment if an environment selector is shown.
3. Open the model picker and select anthropic/claude-opus-5.5, or your chosen available Claude model.
4. Click Choose a folder or the project-folder control and select dgrid-claude-demo. If you skipped the CLI setup, create and select a new folder of your own.

Send:

Reply with exactly: DGrid connection successful

Wait for the response. The model name below the input box should match your selection.

You can continue working in this desktop session using DGrid.

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Troubleshooting

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The terminal says command not found or permission denied

type -a claude

"$HOME/.local/bin/claude" --version

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Claude Code detects another API key or shows the wrong gateway

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A request fails with an authentication or model error

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The desktop app reports a gateway error

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The desktop app does not show the expected model

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Related resources

• Integration tutorials overview
• AI Gateway quickstart
• Use Claude Code with DGrid