Coding Agent setup

BetterToken API for Claude Desktop: Claude Gateway Setup

Connect Claude Desktop to BetterToken with a custom Gateway endpoint, an API Key, and a Claude model. Check authentication, model selection, and restart steps.

Claude Desktop supports only Claude models. This is a Claude Desktop client limitation.

Copy an available Claude Model ID from the model plaza, save the configuration, and restart Claude Desktop.

Key settings

Field	Value
API Key	BetterToken API Key
Base URL	`https://bettertoken.ai`
Model	Claude

Prerequisites

Create and copy a BetterToken API Key
Copy the exact Model ID from the model plaza.

Separate subscription from API billing

Gateway requests use your BetterToken API Key and BetterToken balance. They do not consume or extend a Claude subscription allowance. Treat the subscription and API as separate access and billing paths.

Before you use the setup for real work:

Create a dedicated BetterToken API Key for Claude Desktop.
Send one short, non-sensitive test message through Gateway.
Open the BetterToken Dashboard and confirm the model, status, input, output, cache Token, and charge.
Revoke the Key and create a new one if it appears in a screenshot, repository, or public log.

Install

Install or update to the latest version from the Claude Desktop website, then start Claude Desktop.

Manual setup

Enable developer mode

In Claude Desktop, choose Help → Troubleshooting → Enable Developer Mode from the macOS menu bar.

Click Enable in the confirmation window, then restart Claude Desktop.

Confirm developer mode in Claude Desktop.

Open third-party inference settings

After the restart, choose Developer → Configure Third-Party Inference… from the macOS menu bar.

Choose Configure Third-Party Inference from the Developer menu.

Enter the BetterToken API settings

Select Gateway, then enter:

Field	Value
Gateway base URL	`https://bettertoken.ai`
Credential kind	`Static API key`
Gateway API key	Your BetterToken API Key
Gateway auth scheme	`x-api-key`

Claude Desktop fetches the available Claude models after you select the auth scheme. Click Apply Changes to save the configuration on this device and relaunch Claude Desktop. Older versions may show Apply locally followed by Save & Restart.

Enter the BetterToken Gateway Base URL, API Key, and authentication scheme in Claude Desktop.

Verify the connection

After Claude Desktop relaunches, select Continue with Gateway, then send a short message. The setup is active when Gateway appears in the lower-left corner and the message returns normally.

Claude Desktop is open through the BetterToken Gateway and ready to use.

Switch models

Open the model selector and choose another Claude model returned by the Gateway. If the model is missing, reopen Configure Third-Party Inference… and click Apply Changes to save and relaunch Claude Desktop.

Common errors

Problem	Fix
Gateway cannot connect	Use exactly `https://bettertoken.ai` for Gateway base URL. Do not append `/v1`.
Request returns `401`	Copy the BetterToken API Key again and confirm that the auth scheme is `x-api-key`.
No Claude models appear	Copy an available Claude Model ID from the model plaza, save the configuration, and restart Claude Desktop.
Configuration is not applied	Quit Claude Desktop completely, reopen it, and choose Continue with Gateway.