> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.elementum.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Anthropic Setup

> Configure Anthropic as your AI provider for direct access to Claude models in agents and automations

## Overview

Anthropic is an AI provider in Elementum that connects directly to the Anthropic API, giving you access to Claude models for agents, automation actions, and other AI-driven features. Using Anthropic as a direct provider expands model choice in your organization without routing requests through Snowflake Cortex or AWS Bedrock.

Anthropic Claude is also the primary model used by [Studio Agents](/release-notes/upcoming-features), Elementum's coding-based agents that generate automations, agents, and flows through conversation.

<Info>
  **Prerequisites**: You'll need an Anthropic account with API access. Workspace and organization accounts on the Anthropic Console are both supported.
</Info>

## Step 1: Get Your Anthropic API Key

### Create an Anthropic Account

1. **Visit the Anthropic Console**

   * Go to [console.anthropic.com](https://console.anthropic.com)
   * Sign up for an account or log in to your existing account

2. **Set Up Billing**
   * Navigate to **Settings** → **Billing**
   * Add a payment method to enable API access
   * Consider setting usage limits and budget alerts to control costs

### Generate Your API Key

<Steps>
  <Step title="Access API Keys">
    In the Anthropic Console, navigate to **Settings** → **API Keys**
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create New Key">
    Click **Create Key**

    Give your key a descriptive name like "Elementum Integration"
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy and Store">
    **Critical**: Copy the API key immediately and store it securely

    You won't be able to view the full key again after closing the dialog
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set Workspace Scope (Optional)">
    If you're using Workspaces, scope the key to the workspace whose usage limits and billing should apply to Elementum traffic

    Ensure the key has access to the Claude models you plan to use
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Never share your API key or commit it to version control. Store it in a secure location like a password manager.
</Warning>

## Step 2: Configure Anthropic in Elementum

### Add the Provider

1. In Elementum, go to **Organization Settings** and select the **Providers** tab
2. Click **+ Provider** and select **Anthropic** from the provider options
3. Configure the provider settings:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Basic Configuration">
    **Provider Name**: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Anthropic Production")

    **API Key**: Paste your Anthropic API key

    **CloudLink**: Select which CloudLinks can access models from this provider. Leave as "All CloudLinks" unless you need to restrict access.

    <Note>
      AI services do not support CloudLinks configured with **API** as the connection type. Only CloudLinks connected to a supported data warehouse (Snowflake, BigQuery, or Databricks) can be associated with this provider.
    </Note>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Advanced Settings">
    **Request Timeout**: Default is usually sufficient (30 seconds)

    **Max Retries**: Number of retry attempts for failed requests (default: 3)

    **Rate Limiting**: Anthropic handles rate limiting automatically based on your account tier
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

4. Click **Save** to create the provider. Elementum will automatically validate your API key — look for a green checkmark indicating a successful connection.

## Step 3: Create your first AI service

With your Anthropic provider configured, create an AI Service that uses a Claude model. See [AI Services](/ai-agents/ai-services) for the full walkthrough, including LLM service configuration, assignment, and failover.

For Claude model capabilities and recommended use cases, see [AI Models](/ai-agents/ai-models#anthropic-direct).

<Info>
  **Studio Agents**: Anthropic is the primary provider supported on Studio Agents. When using Studio Agents to build automations, agents, and flows, select a Claude model configured through this provider.
</Info>

<Info>
  **Note**: Embeddings for AI Search are handled exclusively through Snowflake Cortex. Anthropic models are used for LLM services only.
</Info>

## Usage Guidelines

### Cost Management

Anthropic charges based on input and output token usage, with rates that vary by model. To manage costs:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Monitor Usage">
    * Monitor usage in the Anthropic Console
    * Set up budget alerts and spend limits
    * Review token consumption by model regularly
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Optimize Usage">
    * Use Haiku models for high-volume, lower-complexity tasks
    * Reserve Opus models for tasks that require the highest reasoning quality
    * Right-size prompts and set appropriate max-token limits
    * Cache or reuse system prompts where possible
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Best Practices

<Accordion title="Model Selection">
  * Use **Claude Haiku** models for fast, high-volume operations and simple automations
  * Use **Claude Sonnet** models for balanced reasoning, production agents, and detailed analysis
  * Use **Claude Opus** models for the most demanding reasoning and content tasks
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Prompt Engineering">
  * Be specific and clear in your prompts
  * Use system messages to set consistent behavior and tone
  * Provide examples for tasks that need a particular format
  * Break complex requests into structured, step-by-step instructions
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Performance Optimization">
  * Choose Haiku models for speed-critical applications
  * Use Sonnet for the best balance of quality, speed, and cost
  * Reserve Opus for tasks where quality matters more than latency or cost
  * Implement retry logic with exponential backoff for transient errors
</Accordion>

## Troubleshooting

<Accordion title="Authentication Errors">
  **Symptoms:** API key rejected or unauthorized errors

  **Common Causes:**

  * Invalid or revoked API key
  * Insufficient workspace permissions
  * Billing issues on the Anthropic account

  **Solutions:**

  1. Verify the API key is correct and active in the Anthropic Console
  2. Check the workspace the key is scoped to
  3. Confirm billing is active and payment methods are valid
  4. Regenerate the API key if needed and update the provider in Elementum
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Model Not Available">
  **Symptoms:** Desired Claude model doesn't appear in service creation

  **Common Causes:**

  * Your Anthropic account or workspace doesn't have access to the model
  * Regional restrictions
  * Model deprecation or rollout in progress

  **Solutions:**

  1. Confirm model availability for your account in the Anthropic Console
  2. Review workspace-level access to the model
  3. Contact Anthropic support for access questions
  4. Consider an alternative Claude model with similar capabilities
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Rate Limit Issues">
  **Symptoms:** Requests being throttled or rejected

  **Common Causes:**

  * Exceeding account-tier rate limits
  * High concurrent usage across agents and automations
  * Burst traffic on a single workspace

  **Solutions:**

  1. Implement exponential backoff and retries
  2. Spread traffic across less time-sensitive workflows
  3. Request a rate-limit increase from Anthropic
  4. Use multiple workspaces or keys for traffic segmentation
</Accordion>

## Security Considerations

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="API Key Security">
    * Never expose API keys in client-side code or shared documents
    * Rotate keys regularly
    * Scope keys to the narrowest workspace that meets your needs
    * Monitor key usage for anomalies in the Anthropic Console
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Data Privacy">
    * Review Anthropic's current data handling and privacy policies
    * Consider data sensitivity when crafting prompts
    * Implement data sanitization for fields that may contain PII or secrets
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Next Steps

With Anthropic configured as your AI Provider:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Create AI Services" icon="cog" href="/ai-agents/ai-services">
    Set up specific LLM services that use your Claude models
  </Card>

  <Card title="AI Models" icon="chart-bar" href="/ai-agents/ai-models">
    Compare Claude models and pick the right one for your use case
  </Card>

  <Card title="Build Agents" icon="robot" href="/ai-agents/agents-experience">
    Create conversational AI assistants using Claude models
  </Card>

  <Card title="Use AI Actions" icon="zap" href="/workflows/automation-actions-reference">
    Add AI capabilities to your automation workflows
  </Card>
</CardGroup>