Connect Claude Code to XiuRouter

Route Claude Code CLI, the VS Code extension, or Claude desktop Code through the XiuRouter Anthropic Messages gateway.

Claude Code can send Anthropic Messages requests through XiuRouter. Configure the API root without /v1, enable gateway model discovery, and verify a real short task before using the connection on a production repository.

Before you start

claude --version prints a version for CLI use.
You have a dedicated XiuRouter API key.
The current XiuRouter catalogue contains at least one Claude model.
You can test in a non-critical project first.

Claude Code CLI

Set the connection in the terminal that will start Claude Code:

export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="https://router-api.xiu.ai"
export ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN="YOUR_XIUROUTER_API_KEY"
export CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_GATEWAY_MODEL_DISCOVERY="1"

The base URL has no /v1 suffix. Claude Code appends /v1/messages. ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN sends a Bearer token, which XiuRouter accepts on the Messages route.

Before starting Claude Code, isolate key or network problems with a direct request:

curl -X POST "$ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL/v1/messages" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN" \
  -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
  -H "content-type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "YOUR_MODEL_ID",
    "max_tokens": 32,
    "messages": [
      {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "Reply only with: connected"
      }
    ]
  }'

Replace YOUR_MODEL_ID with an exact current ID. A successful response contains a Messages content value.

Run claude, use /model to select a model labeled From gateway, then run /status. Confirm the Anthropic base URL and auth token lines before completing a short task.

VS Code extension

Open Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON) and merge:

{
  "claudeCode.environmentVariables": [
    { "name": "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL", "value": "https://router-api.xiu.ai" },
    { "name": "ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN", "value": "YOUR_XIUROUTER_API_KEY" },
    { "name": "CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_GATEWAY_MODEL_DISCOVERY", "value": "1" }
  ]
}

Use user settings, not workspace settings, so the key cannot be committed with the project. Run Developer: Reload Window, then verify /status and a short task.

Claude desktop Code

Enable Developer Mode, then open Developer → Configure Third-Party Inference:

Inference provider: Gateway
Gateway base URL: https://router-api.xiu.ai
Gateway API key: YOUR_XIUROUTER_API_KEY
Credential kind: Static API key
Gateway auth scheme: Bearer

Quit and reopen the application. Gateway mode runs local Code sessions; it does not add cloud environments, SSH, or Remote Control.

Common failures

Symptom	Action
`401` or invalid token	Use `ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN`; confirm the XiuRouter key is active
A warning lists two credential sources	Run `/logout` to use the gateway credential, or unset the gateway variables to keep the saved login
XiuRouter models are missing from `/model`	Set `CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_GATEWAY_MODEL_DISCOVERY=1` and restart
The path becomes `/v1/v1/messages`	Remove `/v1` from `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL`
A `400` names experimental fields	Set `CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_BETAS=1` and retry
Logs show `count_tokens` `404`	Confirm Claude Code falls back and completes `/v1/messages`; do not rotate the key or add funds solely for this optional endpoint
HTTP `200` has an empty or malformed body	Check for a proxy returning an HTML error page and rerun the direct `curl` request

Roll back

CLI: unset the three gateway variables and restart Claude Code.
VS Code: restore the previous claudeCode.environmentVariables and reload the window.
Desktop: restore or disable the Third-Party Inference connection and restart the app.

Run /status after rollback and confirm the previous connection is active.

Sources and review date

This page was checked against the current Claude Code gateway connection and protocol references and the XiuRouter Messages integration on August 22, 2026. No real key was used to run a billable Claude Code task during this review.