Connect your own Anthropic API key

Step by step

1. 1

   Create or sign in to your Anthropic Console account

   Go to platform.claude.com (console.anthropic.com takes you to the same place) and sign in, or create an account for your organisation.

2. 2

   Add credits

   Open Settings → Billing, click Buy credits, enter an amount and confirm. Your AI usage is billed by Anthropic, not by Tech Guru.

   To avoid Care AI stopping when the balance runs low, turn on Auto-reload on the same page (click Edit in the Auto-reload section). The Spend limits section on this page also lets you set a monthly limit for the whole organisation.

3. 3

   Recommended: create a “Tech Guru Care” workspace with a spend limit

   Open Settings → Workspaces, click Create workspace, name it Tech Guru Care and click Create. Then open the workspace and use its Spend limits tab to cap monthly spending and set alerts.

   A dedicated workspace keeps Care AI usage separate in Anthropic’s reports and lets you cap it on its own. Limits can’t be set on the Default Workspace.

4. 4

   Create an API key for Tech Guru Care

   Open Settings → API keys and click Create key:

   • Name: Tech Guru Care.
   • Workspace: choose the Tech Guru Care workspace. The key must be scoped to one workspace — Care AI does not send a workspace ID, so a key that works across several workspaces will not work.
   • Linked account: a service account is best for a shared service like this, because the key keeps working if the person who created it leaves. To use one, an organisation admin first creates the service account in the Console’s organisation settings and adds it to the Tech Guru Care workspace; then choose it here. A personal key works too, but stops working when that person leaves your Anthropic organisation.
   • Expiration: Care AI stops when the key expires. Choose Never and rotate the key yourself, or pick a duration and set a reminder to replace it in time.

   Copy the key. It starts with sk-ant- and is shown only once.

5. 5

   Paste it into the Tech Guru Care portal

   In the portal, open Settings → Care AI, paste the key and click Save & verify. The portal checks the key with Anthropic and confirms the models Care AI needs are available. The status turns Valid.

6. 6

   Optional: set a monthly token cap

   On the same tab you can set a monthly token cap (input and output tokens together, including the guard model). When this month’s usage reaches it, Care AI and Murlidhar pause until next month or until an administrator raises the cap. Usage so far this month is shown next to it.

7. 7

   Rotating or revoking the key

   To rotate: create a new key (step 4), save it in the portal with Save & verify — it replaces the old one — then delete the old key on the Console’s API keys page. To stop AI immediately, click Remove key in the portal. In the Console, Disable can be undone with Re-enable; Delete is permanent.

How your key is protected

• Encrypted with AES-256-GCM before it is stored.
• Never shown again after saving — only sk-ant-… and the last 4 characters.
• Used only for your organisation’s Care AI and Murlidhar requests, from Tech Guru Care’s servers.
• Never sent to your devices; agents never see any AI key.
• Saving or removing the key and changing the cap are recorded in your audit log — without the key itself.
• Your organisation’s administrators add, replace or remove it. Tech Guru support staff cannot change it; only a Tech Guru superadmin can replace or remove it (for example when you ask us for help), and every change is recorded in your audit log.

Troubleshooting

The message you see in Care AI, Murlidhar or Settings → Care AI, and what to do.

“Your plan uses your own Anthropic API key. An administrator can add it in Settings → Care AI.”

No key is stored yet. An administrator follows steps 4 and 5.

“Your Anthropic API key was rejected. An administrator can update it in Settings → Care AI.”

Anthropic refused the stored key: it was deleted, disabled or expired, its workspace was archived, or the person or service account it is linked to lost access. Check the key on the Console’s API keys page. If it was only disabled, click Re-enable and then Test key in the portal; otherwise create a new key and click Save & verify.

“Your Anthropic account hit its rate limit. Please try again in a minute, or raise the limit in the Anthropic Console.”

Too many requests in a short time. Wait a minute. If it keeps happening, check the workspace’s Rate limits tab and the organisation’s Rate limits page in the Console (Request rate limit increase).

“Your Anthropic account has run out of credits. Add credits in the Anthropic Console (Settings → Billing) to continue.”

Buy credits on the Console’s Settings → Billing page and consider turning on Auto-reload. Care AI works again as soon as the credits arrive; you don’t need to re-save the key.

“Your Anthropic account reached the monthly spend limit of its usage tier. It resets next month; the Anthropic Console shows your tier and how to raise it.”

Your Anthropic organisation reached the monthly spend cap of its usage tier. Care AI resumes next month, or your organisation can move to a higher usage tier as described in the Console.

“Your Anthropic spend limit is reached. An administrator can raise it under Spend limits in the Anthropic Console.”

A spend limit you set yourself (on the Billing page or the workspace’s Spend limits tab, step 3) was reached. Raise it, or wait for the next month.

“This month's Care AI cap (set by your administrator in Settings → Care AI) is reached.”

Your own monthly token cap (step 6) is used up. An administrator can raise or remove it, or Care AI resumes next month.

“That is an Admin API key. Create a normal API key (Settings → API keys in the Anthropic Console) instead.”

Admin API keys manage the Anthropic organisation and cannot be used here. Create a normal API key (step 4).

“That doesn't look like an Anthropic API key. Keys start with "sk-ant-".”

The pasted text is not a whole API key. Copy the key again without spaces or line breaks. Use a normal API key from Settings → API keys, not an Admin API key.

“Anthropic rejected this key (invalid or revoked). Create a new key and try again.”

The key was mistyped, deleted, disabled or has expired. Create a new key (step 4).

“This key doesn't have permission to use the API. Check the key's workspace and permissions in the Anthropic Console.”

The key’s linked account cannot use the API in that workspace (for example, it only has the Workspace User role, which allows the playground only). Give it a developer role in the workspace, or create the key with a different linked account.

“Anthropic rate-limited the check. Please try again in a minute.”

Wait a minute and click Save & verify again.

“Couldn't reach Anthropic to check the key. Please try again.”

A temporary network problem between Tech Guru Care and Anthropic. Try again in a few minutes.

“This key works across several workspaces. Create a key scoped to one workspace (for example "Tech Guru Care") and try again.”

Create a new key and choose the Tech Guru Care workspace for it (step 4).

“Anthropic returned an error (NNN) while checking the key.”

Try again later; if it keeps happening, contact us with the number.

“Couldn't check the key. Please try again.”

An unexpected problem. Try again; if it persists, contact Tech Guru support.

“Care AI is not configured on this server yet.”

Your licence is still on “AI included” and the Tech Guru service is not set up for it. Contact Tech Guru, or ask us to switch your licence to “Bring your own key”.

“Care AI is not available right now. Please try again later.”

A temporary problem. Try again; if it continues, contact Tech Guru support.

Care AI stops with a general error while the key still shows “Valid”

Check the Console’s Billing page and your workspace’s Spend limits tab: a spend limit you set may have been reached. Raise it, or wait for the next month. Click Test key in the portal to re-check the key.