/claude-api

name: claude-api
scope: coding
description: "Build, debug, and optimize Claude API / Anthropic SDK apps. Apps built with this skill should include prompt caching. Also handles migrating existing Claude API code between Claude model versions (4.5 → 4.6, 4.6 → 4.7, retired-model replacements). TRIGGER when: code imports `anthropic`/`@anthropic-ai/sdk`; user asks for the Claude API, Anthropic SDK, or Managed Agents; user adds/modifies/tunes a Claude feature (caching, thinking, compaction, tool use, batch, files, citations, memory) or model (Opus/Sonnet/Haiku) in a file; questions about prompt caching / cache hit rate in an Anthropic SDK project. SKIP: file imports `openai`/other-provider SDK, filename like `*-openai.py`/`*-generic.py`, provider-neutral code, general programming/ML."
license: Complete terms in LICENSE.txt

Building LLM-Powered Applications with Claude

This skill helps you build LLM-powered applications with Claude. Choose the right surface based on your needs, detect the project language, then read the relevant language-specific documentation.

Before You Start

Scan the target file (or, if no target file, the prompt and project) for non-Anthropic provider markers — `import openai`, `from openai`, `langchain_openai`, `OpenAI(`, `gpt-4`, `gpt-5`, file names like `agent-openai.py` or `*-generic.py`, or any explicit instruction to keep the code provider-neutral. If you find any, stop and tell the user that this skill produces Claude/Anthropic SDK code; ask whether they want to switch the file to Claude or want a non-Claude implementation. Do not edit a non-Anthropic file with Anthropic SDK calls.

Output Requirement

When the user asks you to add, modify, or implement a Claude feature, your code must call Claude through one of:

1. **The official Anthropic SDK** for the project's language (`anthropic`, `@anthropic-ai/sdk`, `com.anthropic.*`, etc.). This is the default whenever a supported SDK exists for the project. 2. **Raw HTTP** (`curl`, `requests`, `fetch`, `httpx`, etc.) — only when the user explicitly asks for cURL/REST/raw HTTP, the project is a shell/cURL project, or the language has no official SDK.

Never mix the two — don't reach for `requests`/`fetch` in a Python or TypeScript project just because it feels lighter. Never fall back to OpenAI-compatible shims.

**Never guess SDK usage.** Function names, class names, namespaces, method signatures, and import paths must come from explicit documentation — either the `{lang}/` files in this skill or the official SDK repositories or documentation links listed in `shared/live-sources.md`. If the binding you need is not explicitly documented in the skill files, WebFetch the relevant SDK repo from `shared/live-sources.md` before writing code. Do not infer Ruby/Java/Go/PHP/C# APIs from cURL shapes or from another language's SDK.

Defaults

Unless the user requests otherwise:

Use the model and provider configuration authorized by the user and project. The model IDs and limits in this cached reference are examples: verify availability and supported thinking parameters against the deployed provider or official Models API before changing them. Never replace Prismer gateway configuration or perform a provider migration just because this reference mentions an Anthropic model. For long outputs prefer streaming, using the SDK's `.get_final_message()` / `.finalMessage()` helper when a complete response is needed.

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Subcommands

If the User Request at the bottom of this prompt is a bare subcommand string (no prose), search every **Subcommands** table in this document — including any in sections appended below — and follow the matching Action column directly. This lets users invoke specific flows via `/claude-api <subcommand>`. If no table in the document matches, treat the request as normal prose.

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Language Detection

Before reading code examples, determine which language the user is working in:

1. **Look at project files** to infer the language:

• `*.py`, `requirements.txt`, `pyproject.toml`, `setup.py`, `Pipfile` → **Python** — read from `python/`
• `*.ts`, `*.tsx`, `package.json`, `tsconfig.json` → **TypeScript** — read from `typescript/`
• `*.js`, `*.jsx` (no `.ts` files present) → **TypeScript** — JS uses the same SDK, read from `typescript/`
• `*.java`, `pom.xml`, `build.gradle` → **Java** — read from `java/`
• `*.kt`, `*.kts`, `build.gradle.kts` → **Java** — Kotlin uses the Java SDK, read from `java/`
• `*.scala`, `build.sbt` → **Java** — Scala uses the Java SDK, read from `java/`
• `*.go`, `go.mod` → **Go** — read from `go/`
• `*.rb`, `Gemfile` → **Ruby** — read from `ruby/`
• `*.cs`, `*.csproj` → **C#** — read from `csharp/`
• `*.php`, `composer.json` → **PHP** — read from `php/`

2. **If multiple languages detected** (e.g., both Python and TypeScript files):

• Check which language the user's current file or question relates to
• If still ambiguous, ask: "I detected both Python and TypeScript files. Which language are you using for the Claude API integration?"

3. **If language can't be inferred** (empty project, no source files, or unsupported language):

• Use AskUserQuestion with options: Python, TypeScript, Java, Go, Ruby, cURL/raw HTTP, C#, PHP
• If AskUserQuestion is unavailable, default to Python examples and note: "Showing Python examples. Let me know if you need a different language."

4. **If unsupported language detected** (Rust, Swift, C++, Elixir, etc.):

• Suggest cURL/raw HTTP examples from `curl/` and note that community SDKs may exist
• Offer to show Python or TypeScript examples as reference implementations

5. **If user needs cURL/raw HTTP examples**, read from `curl/`.

Language-Specific Feature Support

| Language | Tool Runner | Managed Agents | Notes | | ---------- | ----------- | -------------- | ------------------------------------- | | Python | Yes (beta) | Yes (beta) |