How to Use Claude with OpenClaw

OpenClaw FAQ

Set Claude as your AI model in OpenClaw by adding your Anthropic API key and setting the model to anthropic/claude-opus-4-6 or any Claude variant.

Why Claude?

Claude by Anthropic is one of the most capable AI models available. Claude Opus 4 is the strongest model for complex reasoning, coding, and creative tasks. Many OpenClaw users prefer Claude for its nuanced understanding and safety-first approach.

Setup Steps

  1. Get an API key from console.anthropic.com
  2. Run openclaw onboard and select Anthropic as your provider
  3. Or manually configure in your openclaw.json

Available Claude Models

  • anthropic/claude-opus-4-6: Most capable, best for complex tasks ($15/M input tokens)
  • anthropic/claude-sonnet-4: Great balance of speed and quality ($3/M input tokens)
  • anthropic/claude-haiku-3.5: Fastest and cheapest, great for simple tasks ($0.25/M input tokens)

Typical Costs

Most users spend $5-20/month with Claude Sonnet. Heavy Opus usage may cost $20-50/month. OpenClaw optimizes token usage with features like memory compaction.

// In ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6"
      }
    }
  }
}

// Or use different models per task
// Opus for complex, Haiku for simple

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