I Was Paying for Pro and Still Getting Billed by the Console
Your subscription and your API usage are two separate ledgers, and Claude Code will happily run on either one. Which credential wins is decided by a precedence list where your login sits dead last. Here is how to read status, and why unattended runs answer differently.
When Every Request Fails With Not signed in to the Cloud gateway, Check the Version Before the Config
A Claude Code 2.1.265 regression broke every request for gateway and proxy setups. I use it as an excuse to build a small snapshot of the auth input surface, so the next time something breaks you can tell config from version in seconds.
Switching to headersHelper in Claude Code broke auth for project-scoped catalogs only
Moving a private plugin catalog to headersHelper worked at user scope and failed under the project directory. The cause was credential non-inheritance. Here are two working helpers, measured execution costs, and what unattended runs need.
When an OAuth Token Expires, Your Unattended Run Has Nowhere to Go — A Token-Lifecycle Design That Keeps Remote MCP Alive
Remote MCP connectors are authorized via OAuth, but access tokens are short-lived. Interactive sessions can re-authorize in a browser; an unattended scheduled run has nobody to click the dialog. Here is a token-lifecycle design that owns expiry and refreshes ahead of time.
Drop Your Static Claude API Keys: Moving CI and Production to Keyless Auth with Workload Identity Federation
Workload Identity Federation is now generally available on the Claude Platform. This guide walks through replacing long-lived sk-ant- keys with short-lived OIDC tokens, including keyless GitHub Actions auth, the migration steps, and token refresh design.
Keep MCP Connector Authorization in One Place — A Solo Dev Design That Survives Growing Integrations
When Claude chat, Claude Code, and Cowork each configure the same MCP connector separately, their authorization drifts apart and breaks silently. Here is how to borrow the managed-connector idea of 'provision once, reuse everywhere' as an indie developer.
Fixing Claude Code's 'Credit balance is too low' Error
You launch Claude Code and it immediately stops with 'Credit balance is too low' — even though you have an active subscription. The error looks like a money problem, but it is almost always a mismatch in which auth path is billing you. Here is how to tell them apart and fix it: switching auth routes, topping up credits, and setting auto-reload.
The Claude Code Error Handbook — Auth, Billing, Stalls, Tools & MCP, Diagnosed by Symptom
A field-tested reference for 40+ Claude Code error patterns, organized by visible symptom: authentication, billing, response stalls, tool failures, MCP connectivity, and hook issues. Each entry tells you where to look and what to change.
How to Fix Claude API 401 Invalid API Key Authentication Error
Complete guide to fixing Claude API 401 Invalid API Key errors. Covers environment variable issues, expired keys, OAuth token corruption, proxy interference, and more with step-by-step solutions.