Docs: add Claude Max API Proxy guide (#1875)

Co-authored-by: atalovesyou <atalovesyou@users.noreply.github.com>
2026-01-25 22:32:38 -06:00
parent 5172098073
commit d696ee3dfd
3 changed files with 150 additions and 0 deletions
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ Status: unreleased.
 - Agents: expand cron tool description with full schema docs. (#1988) Thanks @tomascupr.
 - Skills: add missing dependency metadata for GitHub, Notion, Slack, Discord. (#1995) Thanks @jackheuberger.
 - Docs: add Render deployment guide. (#1975) Thanks @anurag.
+- Docs: add Claude Max API Proxy guide. (#1875) Thanks @atalovesyou.
 - Docs: credit both contributors for Control UI refresh. (#1852) Thanks @EnzeD.
 - Onboarding: add Venice API key to non-interactive flow. (#1893) Thanks @jonisjongithub.
 - Tlon: format thread reply IDs as @ud. (#1837) Thanks @wca4a.
--- a/docs/providers/claude-max-api-proxy.md
+++ b/docs/providers/claude-max-api-proxy.md
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+---
+summary: "Use Claude Max/Pro subscription as an OpenAI-compatible API endpoint"
+read_when:
+  - You want to use Claude Max subscription with OpenAI-compatible tools
+  - You want a local API server that wraps Claude Code CLI
+  - You want to save money by using subscription instead of API keys
+---
+# Claude Max API Proxy
+
+**claude-max-api-proxy** is a community tool that exposes your Claude Max/Pro subscription as an OpenAI-compatible API endpoint. This allows you to use your subscription with any tool that supports the OpenAI API format.
+
+## Why Use This?
+
+| Approach | Cost | Best For |
+|----------|------|----------|
+| Anthropic API | Pay per token (~$15/M input, $75/M output for Opus) | Production apps, high volume |
+| Claude Max subscription | $200/month flat | Personal use, development, unlimited usage |
+
+If you have a Claude Max subscription and want to use it with OpenAI-compatible tools, this proxy can save you significant money.
+
+## How It Works
+
+```
+Your App → claude-max-api-proxy → Claude Code CLI → Anthropic (via subscription)
+     (OpenAI format)              (converts format)      (uses your login)
+```
+
+The proxy:
+1. Accepts OpenAI-format requests at `http://localhost:3456/v1/chat/completions`
+2. Converts them to Claude Code CLI commands
+3. Returns responses in OpenAI format (streaming supported)
+
+## Installation
+
+```bash
+# Requires Node.js 20+ and Claude Code CLI
+npm install -g claude-max-api-proxy
+
+# Verify Claude CLI is authenticated
+claude --version
+```
+
+## Usage
+
+### Start the server
+
+```bash
+claude-max-api
+# Server runs at http://localhost:3456
+```
+
+### Test it
+
+```bash
+# Health check
+curl http://localhost:3456/health
+
+# List models
+curl http://localhost:3456/v1/models
+
+# Chat completion
+curl http://localhost:3456/v1/chat/completions \
+  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+  -d '{
+    "model": "claude-opus-4",
+    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
+  }'
+```
+
+### With Clawdbot
+
+You can point Clawdbot at the proxy as a custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint:
+
+```json5
+{
+  env: {
+    OPENAI_API_KEY: "not-needed",
+    OPENAI_BASE_URL: "http://localhost:3456/v1"
+  },
+  agents: {
+    defaults: {
+      model: { primary: "openai/claude-opus-4" }
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+## Available Models
+
+| Model ID | Maps To |
+|----------|---------|
+| `claude-opus-4` | Claude Opus 4 |
+| `claude-sonnet-4` | Claude Sonnet 4 |
+| `claude-haiku-4` | Claude Haiku 4 |
+
+## Auto-Start on macOS
+
+Create a LaunchAgent to run the proxy automatically:
+
+```bash
+cat > ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.claude-max-api.plist << 'EOF'
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
+<plist version="1.0">
+<dict>
+  <key>Label</key>
+  <string>com.claude-max-api</string>
+  <key>RunAtLoad</key>
+  <true/>
+  <key>KeepAlive</key>
+  <true/>
+  <key>ProgramArguments</key>
+  <array>
+    <string>/usr/local/bin/node</string>
+    <string>/usr/local/lib/node_modules/claude-max-api-proxy/dist/server/standalone.js</string>
+  </array>
+  <key>EnvironmentVariables</key>
+  <dict>
+    <key>PATH</key>
+    <string>/usr/local/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:~/.local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin</string>
+  </dict>
+</dict>
+</plist>
+EOF
+
+launchctl bootstrap gui/$(id -u) ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.claude-max-api.plist
+```
+
+## Links
+
+- **npm:** https://www.npmjs.com/package/claude-max-api-proxy
+- **GitHub:** https://github.com/atalovesyou/claude-max-api-proxy
+- **Issues:** https://github.com/atalovesyou/claude-max-api-proxy/issues
+
+## Notes
+
+- This is a **community tool**, not officially supported by Anthropic or Clawdbot
+- Requires an active Claude Max/Pro subscription with Claude Code CLI authenticated
+- The proxy runs locally and does not send data to any third-party servers
+- Streaming responses are fully supported
+
+## See Also
+
+- [Anthropic provider](/providers/anthropic) - Native Clawdbot integration with Claude Code CLI OAuth
+- [OpenAI provider](/providers/openai) - For OpenAI/Codex subscriptions
--- a/docs/providers/index.md
+++ b/docs/providers/index.md
@@ -51,5 +51,9 @@ See [Venice AI](/providers/venice).

 - [Deepgram (audio transcription)](/providers/deepgram)

+## Community tools
+
+- [Claude Max API Proxy](/providers/claude-max-api-proxy) - Use Claude Max/Pro subscription as an OpenAI-compatible API endpoint
+
 For the full provider catalog (xAI, Groq, Mistral, etc.) and advanced configuration,
 see [Model providers](/concepts/model-providers).