How to Use the Unofficial Claude API for Python

August 30, 2021

Welcome to the user-friendly guide on how to integrate and use the Unofficial Claude API for your Python projects. This API gives you access to Anthropics’ Claude LLM, allowing you to interact with this powerful language model in an innovative manner. Whether you’re looking to automate conversations or send attachments, this guide will help you get started.

Background

Claude is a large language model (LLM) app developed by Anthropic, similar to ChatGPT. The Unofficial Claude API allows for free usage of this app in your Python projects, enabling seamless interactions.

Implemented Actions

The Unofficial Claude API is currently under active development and provides the following functionalities:

Getting organizations you are in
Getting conversations you are in
Starting a conversation
Sending a message and receiving a response
Deleting a conversation
Creating and sending attachments
Retrieving message history

Note that the API operates in a __**synchronous**__ manner.

Getting Started

Follow these steps to integrate the Unofficial Claude API into your project.

Step 1: Install the Library

To begin, you’ll need to install the library. Use the following command:

pip install claude-api-py

If this doesn’t work, you can install directly from the GitHub repository:

pip install git+git://github.com/AshwinPathi/claude-api-py.git

Additionally, you need the sseclient-py library as a requirement.

Step 2: Obtain Your Session Key

To start using the bot, you need a session key from the Claude website.

Log into Claude AI
Open the inspect element (press F12 on Chrome)
Navigate to the Application tab
Go to Cookies under Storage
Search for the cookie named ‘claude.ai’ and copy the ‘sessionKey’ field. This key usually begins with sk-ant-sid01…

Step 3: Using the Bot

Check out an example provided in example.py.

Example Usage

Let’s go through how to set up your client and start a conversation.

from claude import claude_client
from claude import claude_wrapper

# Create the client instance
client = claude_client.ClaudeClient(SESSION_KEY)
organizations = client.get_organizations()

# Use the first organization by default
claude_obj = claude_wrapper.ClaudeWrapper(client, organization_uuid=organizations[0][uuid])

# Start a new conversation
new_conversation_data = claude_obj.start_new_conversation("New Conversation", "Hi Claude!")
conversation_uuid = new_conversation_data[uuid]

# Get the response from the initial message
initial_response = new_conversation_data[response]
chat_title = new_conversation_data[title]

The Analogy

Think of using the Unofficial Claude API as setting up a versatile chatbot on your favorite messaging app. First, you download the app (install the library). Next, you log in and grab the special key that lets you chat (session key). Finally, you can send and receive messages, just like talking to your friends, but instead, you’re chatting with Claude!

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues while using the API, consider the following troubleshooting tips:

Ensure that you have installed all required libraries.
Verify that your session key is copied accurately from the Claude website.
If you find bugs or have suggestions on improving the API, be sure to file an issue on the GitHub repository.

For more insights, updates, or to collaborate on AI development projects, stay connected with fxis.ai.

Conclusion

At fxis.ai, we believe that such advancements are crucial for the future of AI, as they enable more comprehensive and effective solutions. Our team is continually exploring new methodologies to push the envelope in artificial intelligence, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest technological innovations.