Claude Code

Claude Code is Anthropic's official coding agent, powered by Claude. It excels at understanding complex codebases and making thoughtful, well-reasoned changes.

Overview

Authentication

API Key

1. Get an API key from Anthropic Console
2. Add to Sesame:
   • Per-user: Settings → API Keys → Anthropic
   • System-wide: Set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable

Subscription (Claude Max/Pro)

Use your Claude Max ($200/mo) or Claude Pro ($20/mo) subscription:

1. Install the Claude CLI:

   npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

2. Run the setup command:

   claude setup-token

3. Complete the browser authentication

4. Copy the token (starts with sk-ant-oat01-)

5. In Sesame: Avatar → Agent Credentials → Claude Code → Paste token

Environment Variables

Capabilities

Claude Code can:

• Read and understand entire codebases
• Make multi-file changes
• Write tests alongside code changes
• Explain complex code patterns
• Refactor and improve existing code
• Debug issues with detailed reasoning

Best Practices

Effective Prompts

Good: "Refactor the authentication module to use JWT tokens
       instead of sessions. Update all affected routes and tests."

Bad: "Fix auth"

Context Hints

Claude Code works best when you:

• Specify which files or directories are relevant
• Mention the tech stack if not obvious
• Describe the expected behavior clearly

Large Codebases

For large repositories:

• Claude Code handles large contexts well (200K tokens)
• Consider using specific file paths in prompts
• Break massive changes into smaller tasks

Troubleshooting

"Authentication failed"

• API key: Verify key is valid at Anthropic Console
• Subscription: Re-run claude setup-token and update credentials

"Rate limited"

• API has rate limits based on your plan
• Subscription users: Check your plan's usage limits
• Consider upgrading your plan for higher limits

Agent hangs

• Claude Code may pause for complex reasoning
• Check task logs for progress
• Large context operations take longer

Token expired

Subscription tokens may expire. Re-authenticate:

claude setup-token

Then update the token in Sesame's Agent Credentials.

CLI Reference

The Claude CLI supports various options that Sesame uses internally:

# Basic usage
claude "Your prompt here"

# With specific model
claude --model claude-sonnet-4-20250514 "prompt"

# Continue previous conversation
claude --continue "follow up prompt"

Pricing

For current pricing, see Anthropic Pricing.