managing-apps/assets/documentation/MCP-Claude-Code-Setup.md

Using Claude Code API Keys with MCP

Overview

The Managing platform's MCP implementation now prioritizes Claude (Anthropic) as the default LLM provider when in auto mode. This allows you to use your Claude Code API keys seamlessly.

Auto Mode Priority (Updated)

When using "auto" mode (backend selects provider), the priority order is now:

1. Claude (Anthropic) ← Preferred (Claude Code API keys)
2. Gemini (Google)
3. OpenAI (GPT)

The system will automatically select Claude if an API key is configured.

Setup with Claude Code API Keys

Option 1: Environment Variables (Recommended)

Set the environment variable before running the API:

export Llm__Claude__ApiKey="your-anthropic-api-key"
dotnet run --project src/Managing.Api

Or on Windows:

$env:Llm__Claude__ApiKey="your-anthropic-api-key"
dotnet run --project src/Managing.Api

Option 2: User Secrets (Development)

cd src/Managing.Api
dotnet user-secrets set "Llm:Claude:ApiKey" "your-anthropic-api-key"

Option 3: appsettings.Development.json

Add to src/Managing.Api/appsettings.Development.json:

{
  "Llm": {
    "Claude": {
      "ApiKey": "your-anthropic-api-key",
      "DefaultModel": "claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022"
    }
  }
}

⚠️ Note: Don't commit API keys to version control!

Getting Your Anthropic API Key

1. Go to Anthropic Console
2. Sign in or create an account
3. Navigate to API Keys section
4. Click Create Key
5. Copy your API key
6. Add to your configuration using one of the methods above

Verification

To verify Claude is being used:

1. Start the API
2. Check the logs for: "Claude provider initialized"
3. In the AI chat, the provider dropdown should show "Claude" as available
4. When using "Auto" mode, logs should show: "Auto-selected provider: claude"

Using Claude Code API Keys with BYOK

If you want users to bring their own Claude API keys:

// Frontend example
const response = await aiChatService.sendMessage(
  messages,
  'claude',  // Specify Claude
  'user-anthropic-api-key'  // User's key
)

Model Configuration

The default Claude model is claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022 (Claude 3.5 Sonnet).

To use a different model, update appsettings.json:

{
  "Llm": {
    "Claude": {
      "ApiKey": "your-key",
      "DefaultModel": "claude-3-opus-20240229"  // Claude 3 Opus (more capable)
    }
  }
}

Available models:

• claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022 - Latest, balanced (recommended)
• claude-3-opus-20240229 - Most capable
• claude-3-sonnet-20240229 - Balanced
• claude-3-haiku-20240307 - Fastest

Benefits of Using Claude

1. MCP Native: Claude has native MCP support
2. Context Window: Large context window (200K tokens)
3. Tool Calling: Excellent at structured tool use
4. Reasoning: Strong reasoning capabilities for trading analysis
5. Code Understanding: Great for technical queries

Example Usage

Once configured, the AI chat will automatically use Claude:

User: "Show me my best backtests from the last month with a score above 80"

Claude will:

1. Understand the request
2. Call the get_backtests_paginated MCP tool with appropriate filters
3. Analyze the results
4. Provide insights in natural language

Troubleshooting

Claude not selected in auto mode

Issue: Logs show Gemini or OpenAI being selected instead of Claude

Solution:

• Verify the API key is configured: check logs for "Claude provider initialized"
• Ensure the key is valid and active
• Check environment variable name: Llm__Claude__ApiKey (double underscore)

API key errors

Issue: "Authentication error" or "Invalid API key"

Solution:

• Verify key is copied correctly (no extra spaces)
• Check key is active in Anthropic Console
• Ensure you have credits/billing set up

Model not found

Issue: "Model not found" error

Solution:

• Use supported model names from the list above
• Check model availability in your region
• Verify model name spelling in configuration

Advanced: Multi-Provider Fallback

You can configure multiple providers for redundancy:

{
  "Llm": {
    "Claude": {
      "ApiKey": "claude-key"
    },
    "Gemini": {
      "ApiKey": "gemini-key"
    },
    "OpenAI": {
      "ApiKey": "openai-key"
    }
  }
}

Auto mode will:

1. Try Claude first
2. Fall back to Gemini if Claude fails
3. Fall back to OpenAI if Gemini fails

Cost Optimization

Claude pricing (as of 2024):

• Claude 3.5 Sonnet: $3/M input tokens, $15/M output tokens
• Claude 3 Opus: $15/M input tokens, $75/M output tokens
• Claude 3 Haiku: $0.25/M input tokens, $1.25/M output tokens

For cost optimization:

• Use 3.5 Sonnet for general queries (recommended)
• Use Haiku for simple queries (if you need to reduce costs)
• Use Opus only for complex analysis requiring maximum capability

Rate Limits

Anthropic rate limits (tier 1):

• 50 requests per minute
• 40,000 tokens per minute
• 5 requests per second

For higher limits, upgrade your tier in the Anthropic Console.

Security Best Practices

1. Never commit API keys to version control
2. Use environment variables or user secrets in development
3. Use secure key management (Azure Key Vault, AWS Secrets Manager) in production
4. Rotate keys regularly
5. Monitor usage for unexpected spikes
6. Set spending limits in Anthropic Console

Production Deployment

For production, use secure configuration:

Azure App Service

az webapp config appsettings set \
  --name your-app-name \
  --resource-group your-rg \
  --settings Llm__Claude__ApiKey="your-key"

Docker

docker run -e Llm__Claude__ApiKey="your-key" your-image

Kubernetes

apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
metadata:
  name: llm-secrets
type: Opaque
stringData:
  claude-api-key: your-key

Next Steps

1. Configure your Claude API key
2. Start the API and verify Claude provider is initialized
3. Test the AI chat with queries about backtests
4. Monitor usage and costs in Anthropic Console
5. Adjust model selection based on your needs

Support

For issues:

• Check logs for provider initialization
• Verify API key in Anthropic Console
• Test API key with direct API calls
• Review error messages in application logs