VS Code and JetBrains

This page is the VS Code extension and the JetBrains plugin. The desktop app is Claude Code desktop. The command line is Claude Code CLI.

Both run Claude Code. They are not the normal chat box on claude.ai.

Client	What it is	Where it reads the gateway
VS Code extension	The Claude Code panel in the editor. The extension ships its own CLI	Shares the env block in ~/.claude/settings.json with the CLI. The extension's own login check also needs the variables in VS Code user settings
JetBrains plugin	Claude Code inside IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, and the other JetBrains IDEs	The plugin does not ship a CLI. It launches the claude binary in the IDE terminal, so it reads the same ~/.claude/settings.json

The normal chat UI on claude.ai and in the mobile app cannot take a third-party key. The desktop app does not read the file below either. Configure it in the app. See Claude Code desktop.

Where the file is

User settings file:

• Mac: ~/.claude/settings.json
• Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.claude\settings.json, which is C:\Users\<your user name>\.claude\settings.json

An app opened from the Dock, the Start menu, or a desktop icon does not see variables you export in a terminal. VS Code and JetBrains both need those variables in the file above. For JetBrains, that file is enough. VS Code's login check needs a second copy. See below.

Install

These links were checked against Anthropic's pages on 2026-11-02: VS Code and JetBrains.

VS Code extension

• VS Code 1.94.0 or later.
• In VS Code, press Cmd+Shift+X (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows), search for Claude Code, and click Install.
• Marketplace page: Claude Code on Visual Studio Marketplace.
• Official one-click links: vscode:extension/anthropic.claude-code, and cursor:extension/anthropic.claude-code for Cursor.
• Editors that cannot use the Visual Studio Marketplace can install from Open VSX. Anthropic says the marketplaces are third-party software it does not endorse.

The extension bundles its own CLI, so the chat panel does not need a separate install. To run the claude command in VS Code's integrated terminal, also install the standalone CLI from the integration guide.

JetBrains plugin

The plugin does not bundle a CLI. Do both steps:

1. Install claude from the integration guide and make sure the IDE can find it on PATH. If it cannot, the plugin shows "Cannot launch Claude Code". Set the full path under Settings → Tools → Claude Code [Beta] → Claude command.
2. Install the plugin from the JetBrains Marketplace and fully restart the IDE. Plugin page: Claude Code. You can also open Settings → Plugins inside the IDE, search for Claude Code, and install it.

Anthropic lists IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, Android Studio, WebStorm, PhpStorm, and GoLand. For remote development, install the plugin on the remote host (Settings → Plugin (Host)), not only on your local machine.

Write the env block in settings.json

Open Console → API Keys and create a key that starts with mf-. Everywhere below, paste the raw key. Do not add Bearer .

On Mac, edit ~/.claude/settings.json. On Windows, edit %USERPROFILE%\.claude\settings.json. Create the file if it does not exist. If it already has other settings, merge the env object. Do not delete the other keys.

{
  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://modelfold.ai/anthropic",
    "ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN": "your mf- key",
    "ANTHROPIC_MODEL": "claude-sonnet-5"
  }
}

• ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL stops at /anthropic. The client appends /v1/messages itself. https://modelfold.ai/anthropic/v1/messages is the wrong value.
• ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN is the raw key. The client sends it as Authorization: Bearer. A value that already starts with Bearer becomes Bearer Bearer … and the API returns 401.
• ANTHROPIC_MODEL is an id from the list below. claude-sonnet-5 was one id when this page was written. If the list changes, use the new id. Do not assume a built-in alias exists on ModelFold.
• Do not put the key in a project's .claude/settings.json. That file is committed. Use the user file, or an uncommitted .claude/settings.local.json.
• If the same variable is also exported in the shell, the settings file wins.
• Do not also set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY. That variable is sent as X-Api-Key. Anthropic warns when two credential sources are active.

The JetBrains plugin launches the local claude binary, which reads this file. An export in some other terminal window does not reach the IDE.

Anthropic's gateway connect page says values in ~/.claude/settings.json reach the process the VS Code extension spawns, but not the extension's own login check. With only that file, the VS Code panel still asks you to sign in to Claude. JetBrains does not have that extra check. After you save the file, fully restart the IDE.

VS Code also needs its own user settings

VS Code opened from the Dock also does not inherit a terminal export. Run Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON) from the Command Palette and merge this in. Do not replace the whole file:

{
  "claudeCode.environmentVariables": [
    { "name": "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL", "value": "https://modelfold.ai/anthropic" },
    { "name": "ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN", "value": "your mf- key" },
    { "name": "ANTHROPIC_MODEL", "value": "claude-sonnet-5" }
  ]
}

Then run Developer: Reload Window. Closing the chat panel is not enough.

If the Claude sign-in screen is still there after the reload, turn on Disable Login Prompt (claudeCode.disableLoginPrompt). Anthropic documents that switch for third-party setups that should skip the Anthropic sign-in prompt. Keep the key in user settings, not in a workspace .vscode/settings.json that gets committed.

Models you can use

This table is from GET https://modelfold.ai/anthropic/v1/models. When this page was written, has_more was false and the list had 13 models. The list changes. Run the command yourself. Do not keep using an old table.

curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $MODELFOLD_API_KEY" \
  https://modelfold.ai/anthropic/v1/models

On PowerShell, use curl.exe and $env:MODELFOLD_API_KEY. The header must be Authorization: Bearer. A header literally named apikey is rejected with 401. Listing models does not create a generation charge.

id (set this as ANTHROPIC_MODEL)	Display name	Max input	Max output
claude-fable-5	Claude Fable 5	1000000	128000
claude-opus-5-5	Claude Opus 5.5	1000000	128000
claude-opus-5	Claude Opus 5	1000000	128000
claude-sonnet-5-5	Claude Sonnet 5.5	1000000	128000
claude-haiku-5-5	Claude Haiku 5.5	1000000	128000
claude-sonnet-5	Claude Sonnet 5	1000000	128000
claude-opus-4-8	Claude Opus 4.8	1000000	128000
claude-opus-4-7	Claude Opus 4.7	1000000	128000
claude-opus-4-6	Claude Opus 4.6	1000000	128000
claude-sonnet-4-6	Claude Sonnet 4.6	1000000	128000
claude-opus-4-5	Claude Opus 4.5	not returned	not returned
claude-sonnet-4-5	Claude Sonnet 4.5	not returned	not returned
claude-haiku-4-5	Claude Haiku 4.5	200000	64000

Check that it works

A 200 from the model list only shows that the key and the URL are accepted. It does not prove generation works. A real message does, and that message spends ModelFold credits.

After you edit the file or the editor settings, quit the whole app and open it again. Reload the VS Code window or quit VS Code, and fully restart the JetBrains IDE. Opening a new chat is not enough.

• claude in the JetBrains terminal: run /status. The Status tab should show Anthropic base URL https://modelfold.ai/anthropic and an auth line that names ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN. Then send a short message.
• VS Code: after Reload Window, open the Claude Code panel and send a short message. A Claude sign-in screen means claudeCode.environmentVariables was not picked up.
• On the console usage page, confirm the request is logged against your key.

Common problems

What you see	Why
401, or a header that says Bearer Bearer	The key is wrong or revoked, or ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN includes a Bearer prefix. Paste only the raw mf- key. A header named apikey is also a 401.
404, or a URL that contains /v1/v1/messages	ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL includes /v1 or /v1/messages. Use only https://modelfold.ai/anthropic.
VS Code still asks you to sign in to a Claude account	settings.json alone does not reach the login check. Also set claudeCode.environmentVariables in user settings, then Reload Window. If the sign-in screen remains, turn on Disable Login Prompt. VS Code opened from the Dock does not see a terminal export.
JetBrains says "Cannot launch Claude Code"	claude is not on the IDE's PATH. Install it from the CLI guide, or set the full path under Settings → Tools → Claude Code [Beta], then fully restart the IDE.
JetBrains still uses the Claude account	The user settings.json was not read, or the variables were only exported in another terminal. Save the file and fully restart the IDE.
402, billing_error, insufficient credits	The ModelFold balance is too low (under 1 credit, or less than the pre-charge for this call). Add credits in the console. This is not a key-format error.
Model is not available	ANTHROPIC_MODEL is not an id from the model list. Fetch the list again and use one of those ids.
claude.ai chat on the web or phone rejects the key	The normal chat UI does not accept a third-party key. Use an editor on this page, the desktop app, or the CLI.

Other CLI pitfalls are on Claude Code CLI.