Claude app
Set up Claude Desktop with a third-party gateway step by step
Connect the Claude app (Claude Desktop) to your gateway using an API key created on the website.
Install the Claude app and prepare an API key
- Download and install the latest Claude Desktop from claude.com/download.
- Open key management for your environment: https://api.vnaipro.app/keys.
- Sign in and follow the API key guide. Check your balance at https://api.vnaipro.app/wallet and the key's quota.
- When creating the key, select the Auto group or a Claude group containing your desired models. An Auto-group key can also be shared with Codex and other clients. If the key has model restrictions, allow the Claude models you want to use.
- Copy the API key to enter in the app during configuration.
The API key must have access to Claude models
A key assigned to a group without Claude models will not work with this setup. Check the group and its model list on the website before continuing.
Enable Developer Mode
- Open the Claude app. You can configure third-party inference from the sign-in screen.
- Open the application menu:
- macOS: use the menu bar at the top of the screen.
- Windows: click the ☰ menu in the top-left corner of the app.
- Select Help → Troubleshooting → Enable Developer Mode.
- Wait for the app to restart; the Developer menu will appear.
Open third-party configuration
- In the application menu, select Developer → Configure Third-Party Inference….
- Find the Connection section in the configuration window.
- Set Inference provider to Gateway, then fill in the fields below.
Enter the required settings
| Field | Required value |
|---|---|
| Inference provider | gateway (Gateway) |
| Gateway base URL | https://api.vnaipro.app — the gateway URL for your environment |
| Gateway API key | The API key created on the website, assigned to the Auto group or a Claude group with access to Claude models |
| Credential kind | Static API key |
| Gateway auth scheme | bearer |
The Gateway base URL for this environment is https://api.vnaipro.app.
Copy the URL shown in the table for your environment. Do not append /v1, /messages,
or the docs site path.
Paste only the API key into Gateway API key, without a Bearer prefix.
The app uses Gateway auth scheme: bearer to send the key with the correct authentication scheme.
Save and verify the connection
- Click Apply Changes, then Save & Restart.
- When the app reopens, choose the option to start with your third-party configuration on the sign-in screen.
- Start a new conversation and choose a Claude model allowed by your key's group.
- Send a short prompt, such as “Hello, please reply in English.”
- After receiving a response, open the website's usage history to confirm the request went through the gateway.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | What to check |
|---|---|
| No Developer menu | Enable Help → Troubleshooting → Enable Developer Mode and restart the app. Update Claude Desktop if the option is missing. |
| Configuration window is read-only | Your device uses an organization-managed configuration. Contact your administrator to change the gateway. |
401 or 403 error | Check that the key is valid, belongs to the correct environment, and has a group with Claude models. Use Static API key and bearer, without a Bearer prefix in the key field. |
| Claude models are missing or unavailable | Check the group selected when creating the key and the key's model restrictions on the website. |
Gateway was unreachable | Check the Gateway base URL, network connection, and gateway status. Use the root URL for the correct environment. |
See Anthropic's installation guide and LLM gateway configuration.