claude-api

Original source / Raw SKILL.md

---
name: claude-api
description: |
  Build with Claude Messages API using structured outputs for guaranteed JSON schema validation. Covers prompt caching (90% savings), streaming SSE, tool use, and model deprecations. Prevents 16 documented errors.

  Use when: building chatbots/agents, troubleshooting rate_limit_error, prompt caching issues, streaming SSE parsing errors, MCP timeout issues, or structured output hallucinations.
user-invocable: true
---

# Claude API - Structured Outputs & Error Prevention Guide

**Package**: @anthropic-ai/[email protected]
**Breaking Changes**: Oct 2025 - Claude 3.5/3.7 models retired, Nov 2025 - Structured outputs beta
**Last Updated**: 2026-01-09

---

## What's New in v0.69.0+ (Nov 2025)

**Major Features:**

### 1. Structured Outputs (v0.69.0, Nov 14, 2025) - CRITICAL ⭐

**Guaranteed JSON schema conformance** - Claude's responses strictly follow your JSON schema with two modes.

**⚠️ ACCURACY CAVEAT**: Structured outputs guarantee format compliance, NOT accuracy. Models can still hallucinate—you get "perfectly formatted incorrect answers." Always validate semantic correctness (see below).

**JSON Outputs (`output_format`)** - For data extraction and formatting:
```typescript
import Anthropic from '@anthropic-ai/sdk';

const anthropic = new Anthropic({
  apiKey: process.env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY,
});

const message = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Extract contact info: John Doe, [email protected], 555-1234' }],
  betas: ['structured-outputs-2025-11-13'],
  output_format: {
    type: 'json_schema',
    json_schema: {
      name: 'Contact',
      strict: true,
      schema: {
        type: 'object',
        properties: {
          name: { type: 'string' },
          email: { type: 'string' },
          phone: { type: 'string' }
        },
        required: ['name', 'email', 'phone'],
        additionalProperties: false
      }
    }
  }
});

// Guaranteed valid JSON matching schema
const contact = JSON.parse(message.content[0].text);
console.log(contact.name); // "John Doe"
```

**Strict Tool Use (`strict: true`)** - For validated function parameters:
```typescript
const message = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Get weather for San Francisco' }],
  betas: ['structured-outputs-2025-11-13'],
  tools: [{
    name: 'get_weather',
    description: 'Get current weather',
    input_schema: {
      type: 'object',
      properties: {
        location: { type: 'string' },
        unit: { type: 'string', enum: ['celsius', 'fahrenheit'] }
      },
      required: ['location'],
      additionalProperties: false
    },
    strict: true  // ← Guarantees schema compliance
  }]
});
```

**Requirements:**
- **Beta header**: `structured-outputs-2025-11-13` (via `betas` array)
- **Models**: Claude Opus 4.5, Claude Sonnet 4.5, Claude Opus 4 (best models only)
- **SDK**: v0.69.0+ required

**Limitations:**
- ❌ No recursive schemas
- ❌ No numerical constraints (`minimum`, `maximum`)
- ❌ Limited regex support (no backreferences/lookahead)
- ❌ Incompatible with citations and message prefilling
- ⚠️ Grammar compilation adds latency on first request (cached 24hrs)

**Performance Characteristics:**
- **First request**: +200-500ms latency for grammar compilation
- **Subsequent requests**: Normal latency (grammar cached for 24 hours)
- **Cache sharing**: Only with IDENTICAL schemas (small changes = recompilation)

**Pre-warming critical schemas:**
```typescript
// Pre-compile schemas during server startup
const warmupMessage = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 10,
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'warmup' }],
  betas: ['structured-outputs-2025-11-13'],
  output_format: {
    type: 'json_schema',
    json_schema: YOUR_CRITICAL_SCHEMA
  }
});
// Later requests use cached grammar
```

**Semantic Validation (CRITICAL):**
```typescript
const message = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Extract contact: John Doe' }],
  betas: ['structured-outputs-2025-11-13'],
  output_format: {
    type: 'json_schema',
    json_schema: contactSchema
  }
});

const contact = JSON.parse(message.content[0].text);

// ✅ Format is guaranteed valid
// ❌ Content may be hallucinated

// ALWAYS validate semantic correctness
if (!isValidEmail(contact.email)) {
  throw new Error('Hallucinated email detected');
}
if (contact.age < 0 || contact.age > 120) {
  throw new Error('Implausible age value');
}
```

**When to Use:**
- Data extraction from unstructured text
- API response formatting
- Agentic workflows requiring validated tool inputs
- Eliminating JSON parse errors

**⚠️ SDK v0.71.1+ Deprecation**: Direct `.parsed` property access is deprecated. Check SDK docs for updated API.

### 2. Model Changes (Oct 2025) - BREAKING

**Retired (return errors):**
- ❌ Claude 3.5 Sonnet (all versions)
- ❌ Claude 3.7 Sonnet - DEPRECATED (Oct 28, 2025)

**Active Models (Jan 2026):**

| Model | ID | Context | Best For | Cost (per MTok) |
|-------|-----|---------|----------|-----------------|
| **Claude Opus 4.5** | claude-opus-4-5-20251101 | 200k | Flagship - best reasoning, coding, agents | $5/$25 (in/out) |
| **Claude Sonnet 4.5** | claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929 | 200k | Balanced performance | $3/$15 (in/out) |
| **Claude Opus 4** | claude-opus-4-20250514 | 200k | High capability | $15/$75 |
| **Claude Haiku 4.5** | claude-haiku-4-5-20250929 | 200k | Near-frontier, fast | $1/$5 |

**Note**: Claude 3.x models (3.5 Sonnet, 3.7 Sonnet, etc.) are deprecated. Use Claude 4.x+ models.

### 3. Context Management (Oct 28, 2025)

**Clear Thinking Blocks** - Automatic thinking block cleanup:
```typescript
const message = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 4096,
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Solve complex problem' }],
  betas: ['clear_thinking_20251015']
});
// Thinking blocks automatically managed
```

### 4. Agent Skills API (Oct 16, 2025)

Pre-built skills for Office files (PowerPoint, Excel, Word, PDF):
```typescript
const message = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Analyze this spreadsheet' }],
  betas: ['skills-2025-10-02'],
  // Requires code execution tool enabled
});
```

📚 **Docs**: https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/structured-outputs

---

## Streaming Responses (SSE)

**CRITICAL Error Pattern** - Errors occur AFTER initial 200 response:
```typescript
const stream = anthropic.messages.stream({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Hello' }],
});

stream
  .on('error', (error) => {
    // Error can occur AFTER stream starts
    console.error('Stream error:', error);
    // Implement fallback or retry logic
  })
  .on('abort', (error) => {
    console.warn('Stream aborted:', error);
  });
```

**Why this matters**: Unlike regular HTTP errors, SSE errors happen mid-stream after 200 OK, requiring error event listeners

---

## Prompt Caching (⭐ 90% Cost Savings)

**CRITICAL Rule** - `cache_control` MUST be on LAST block:
```typescript
const message = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  system: [
    {
      type: 'text',
      text: 'System instructions...',
    },
    {
      type: 'text',
      text: LARGE_CODEBASE, // 50k tokens
      cache_control: { type: 'ephemeral' }, // ← MUST be on LAST block
    },
  ],
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Explain auth module' }],
});

// Monitor cache usage
console.log('Cache reads:', message.usage.cache_read_input_tokens);
console.log('Cache writes:', message.usage.cache_creation_input_tokens);
```

**Minimum requirements:**
- Claude Sonnet 4.5: 1,024 tokens minimum
- Claude Haiku 4.5: 2,048 tokens minimum
- 5-minute TTL (refreshes on each use)
- Cache shared only with IDENTICAL content

**⚠️ AWS Bedrock Limitation**: Prompt caching does NOT work for Claude 4 family on AWS Bedrock (works for Claude 3.7 Sonnet only). Use direct Anthropic API for Claude 4 caching support. ([GitHub Issue #1347](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/1347))

---

## Tool Use (Function Calling)

**CRITICAL Patterns:**

**Strict Tool Use** (with structured outputs):
```typescript
const message = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  betas: ['structured-outputs-2025-11-13'],
  tools: [{
    name: 'get_weather',
    description: 'Get weather data',
    input_schema: {
      type: 'object',
      properties: {
        location: { type: 'string' },
        unit: { type: 'string', enum: ['celsius', 'fahrenheit'] }
      },
      required: ['location'],
      additionalProperties: false
    },
    strict: true  // ← Guarantees schema compliance
  }],
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Weather in NYC?' }]
});
```

**Tool Result Pattern** - `tool_use_id` MUST match:
```typescript
const toolResults = [];
for (const block of response.content) {
  if (block.type === 'tool_use') {
    const result = await executeToolFunction(block.name, block.input);

    toolResults.push({
      type: 'tool_result',
      tool_use_id: block.id,  // ← MUST match tool_use block id
      content: JSON.stringify(result),
    });
  }
}

messages.push({
  role: 'user',
  content: toolResults,
});
```

**Error Handling** - Handle tool execution failures:
```typescript
try {
  const result = await executeToolFunction(block.name, block.input);
  toolResults.push({
    type: 'tool_result',
    tool_use_id: block.id,
    content: JSON.stringify(result),
  });
} catch (error) {
  // Return error to Claude for handling
  toolResults.push({
    type: 'tool_result',
    tool_use_id: block.id,
    is_error: true,
    content: `Tool execution failed: ${error.message}`,
  });
}
```

**Content Sanitization** - Handle Unicode edge cases:
```typescript
// U+2028 (LINE SEPARATOR) and U+2029 (PARAGRAPH SEPARATOR) cause JSON parse failures
function sanitizeToolResult(content: string): string {
  return content
    .replace(/\u2028/g, '\n') // LINE SEPARATOR → newline
    .replace(/\u2029/g, '\n'); // PARAGRAPH SEPARATOR → newline
}

const toolResult = {
  type: 'tool_result',
  tool_use_id: block.id,
  content: sanitizeToolResult(result) // Sanitize before sending
};
```
([GitHub Issue #882](https://github.com/anthropics/anthropic-sdk-typescript/issues/882))

---

## Vision (Image Understanding)

**CRITICAL Rules:**
- **Formats**: JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF (non-animated)
- **Max size**: 5MB per image
- **Base64 overhead**: ~33% size increase
- **Context impact**: Images count toward token limit
- **Caching**: Consider for repeated image analysis

**Format validation** - Check before encoding:
```typescript
const validFormats = ['image/jpeg', 'image/png', 'image/webp', 'image/gif'];
if (!validFormats.includes(mimeType)) {
  throw new Error(`Unsupported format: ${mimeType}`);
}
```

---

## Extended Thinking Mode

**⚠️ Model Compatibility:**
- ❌ Claude 3.7 Sonnet - DEPRECATED (Oct 28, 2025)
- ❌ Claude 3.5 Sonnet - RETIRED (not supported)
- ✅ Claude Opus 4.5 - Extended thinking supported (flagship)
- ✅ Claude Sonnet 4.5 - Extended thinking supported
- ✅ Claude Opus 4 - Extended thinking supported

**CRITICAL:**
- Thinking blocks are NOT cacheable
- Requires higher `max_tokens` (thinking consumes tokens)
- Check model before expecting thinking blocks

---

## Rate Limits

**CRITICAL Pattern** - Respect `retry-after` header with exponential backoff:
```typescript
async function makeRequestWithRetry(
  requestFn: () => Promise<any>,
  maxRetries = 3,
  baseDelay = 1000
): Promise<any> {
  for (let attempt = 0; attempt < maxRetries; attempt++) {
    try {
      return await requestFn();
    } catch (error) {
      if (error.status === 429) {
        // CRITICAL: Use retry-after header if present
        const retryAfter = error.response?.headers?.['retry-after'];
        const delay = retryAfter
          ? parseInt(retryAfter) * 1000
          : baseDelay * Math.pow(2, attempt);

        console.warn(`Rate limited. Retrying in ${delay}ms...`);
        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay));
      } else {
        throw error;
      }
    }
  }
  throw new Error('Max retries exceeded');
}
```

**Rate limit headers:**
- `anthropic-ratelimit-requests-limit` - Total RPM allowed
- `anthropic-ratelimit-requests-remaining` - Remaining requests
- `anthropic-ratelimit-requests-reset` - Reset timestamp

---

## Error Handling

**Common Error Codes:**

| Status | Error Type | Cause | Solution |
|--------|-----------|-------|----------|
| 400 | invalid_request_error | Bad parameters | Validate request body |
| 401 | authentication_error | Invalid API key | Check env variable |
| 403 | permission_error | No access to feature | Check account tier |
| 404 | not_found_error | Invalid endpoint | Check API version |
| 429 | rate_limit_error | Too many requests | Implement retry logic |
| 500 | api_error | Internal error | Retry with backoff |
| 529 | overloaded_error | System overloaded | Retry later |

**CRITICAL:**
- Streaming errors occur AFTER initial 200 response
- Always implement error event listeners for streams
- Respect `retry-after` header on 429 errors
- Have fallback strategies for critical operations

---

## Known Issues Prevention

This skill prevents **16** documented issues:

### Issue #1: Rate Limit 429 Errors Without Backoff
**Error**: `429 Too Many Requests: Number of request tokens has exceeded your per-minute rate limit`
**Source**: https://docs.claude.com/en/api/errors
**Why It Happens**: Exceeding RPM, TPM, or daily token limits
**Prevention**: Implement exponential backoff with `retry-after` header respect

### Issue #2: Streaming SSE Parsing Errors
**Error**: Incomplete chunks, malformed SSE events
**Source**: Common SDK issue (GitHub #323)
**Why It Happens**: Network interruptions, improper event parsing
**Prevention**: Use SDK stream helpers, implement error event listeners

### Issue #3: Prompt Caching Not Activating
**Error**: High costs despite cache_control blocks
**Source**: https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/prompt-caching
**Why It Happens**: `cache_control` placed incorrectly (must be at END)
**Prevention**: Always place `cache_control` on LAST block of cacheable content

### Issue #4: Tool Use Response Format Errors
**Error**: `invalid_request_error: tools[0].input_schema is invalid`
**Source**: API validation errors
**Why It Happens**: Invalid JSON Schema, missing required fields
**Prevention**: Validate schemas with JSON Schema validator, test thoroughly

### Issue #5: Vision Image Format Issues
**Error**: `invalid_request_error: image source must be base64 or url`
**Source**: API documentation
**Why It Happens**: Incorrect encoding, unsupported formats
**Prevention**: Validate format (JPEG/PNG/WebP/GIF), proper base64 encoding

### Issue #6: Token Counting Mismatches for Billing
**Error**: Unexpected high costs, context window exceeded
**Source**: Token counting differences
**Why It Happens**: Not accounting for special tokens, formatting
**Prevention**: Use official token counter, monitor usage headers

### Issue #7: System Prompt Ordering Issues
**Error**: System prompt ignored or overridden
**Source**: API behavior
**Why It Happens**: System prompt placed after messages array
**Prevention**: ALWAYS place system prompt before messages

### Issue #8: Context Window Exceeded (200k)
**Error**: `invalid_request_error: messages: too many tokens`
**Source**: Model limits
**Why It Happens**: Long conversations without pruning
**Prevention**: Implement message history pruning, use caching

### Issue #9: Extended Thinking on Wrong Model
**Error**: No thinking blocks in response
**Source**: Model capabilities
**Why It Happens**: Using retired/deprecated models (3.5/3.7 Sonnet)
**Prevention**: Only use extended thinking with Claude Opus 4.5, Claude Sonnet 4.5, or Claude Opus 4

### Issue #10: API Key Exposure in Client Code
**Error**: CORS errors, security vulnerability
**Source**: Security best practices
**Why It Happens**: Making API calls from browser
**Prevention**: Server-side only, use environment variables

### Issue #11: Rate Limit Tier Confusion
**Error**: Lower limits than expected
**Source**: Account tier system
**Why It Happens**: Not understanding tier progression
**Prevention**: Check Console for current tier, auto-scales with usage

### Issue #12: Message Batches Beta Headers Missing
**Error**: `invalid_request_error: unknown parameter: batches`
**Source**: Beta API requirements
**Why It Happens**: Missing `anthropic-beta` header
**Prevention**: Include `anthropic-beta: message-batches-2024-09-24` header

### Issue #13: Stream Errors Not Catchable with .withResponse() (Fixed in v0.71.2)
**Error**: Unhandled promise rejection when using `messages.stream().withResponse()`
**Source**: [GitHub Issue #856](https://github.com/anthropics/anthropic-sdk-typescript/issues/856)
**Why It Happens**: SDK internal error handling prevented user catch blocks from working (pre-v0.71.2)
**Prevention**: Upgrade to v0.71.2+ or use event listeners instead

**Fixed in v0.71.2+**:
```typescript
try {
  const stream = await anthropic.messages.stream({
    model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
    max_tokens: 1024,
    messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Hello' }]
  }).withResponse();
} catch (error) {
  // Now properly catchable in v0.71.2+
  console.error('Stream error:', error);
}
```

**Workaround for pre-v0.71.2**:
```typescript
const stream = anthropic.messages.stream({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Hello' }]
});

stream.on('error', (error) => {
  console.error('Stream error:', error);
});
```

### Issue #14: MCP Tool Connections Cause 2-Minute Timeout
**Error**: `Connection error` / `499 Client disconnected` after ~121 seconds
**Source**: [GitHub Issue #842](https://github.com/anthropics/anthropic-sdk-typescript/issues/842)
**Why It Happens**: MCP server connection management conflicts with long-running requests, even when MCP tools are not actively used
**Prevention**: Use direct toolRunner instead of MCP for requests >2 minutes

**Symptoms**:
- Request works fine without MCP
- Fails at exactly ~121 seconds with MCP registered
- Dashboard shows: "Client disconnected (code 499)"
- Multiple users confirmed across streaming and non-streaming

**Workaround**:
```typescript
// Don't use MCP for long requests
const message = await anthropic.beta.messages.toolRunner({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 4096,
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Long task >2 min' }],
  tools: [customTools] // Direct tool definitions, not MCP
});
```

**Note**: This is a known limitation with no official fix. Consider architecture changes if long-running requests with tools are required.

### Issue #15: Structured Outputs Hallucination Risk
**Error**: Valid JSON format but incorrect/hallucinated content
**Source**: [Structured Outputs Docs](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/structured-outputs)
**Why It Happens**: Structured outputs guarantee format compliance, NOT accuracy
**Prevention**: Always validate semantic correctness, not just format

```typescript
const message = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Extract contact: John Doe' }],
  betas: ['structured-outputs-2025-11-13'],
  output_format: {
    type: 'json_schema',
    json_schema: contactSchema
  }
});

const contact = JSON.parse(message.content[0].text);

// ✅ Format is guaranteed valid
// ❌ Content may be hallucinated

// CRITICAL: Validate semantic correctness
if (!isValidEmail(contact.email)) {
  throw new Error('Hallucinated email detected');
}
if (contact.age < 0 || contact.age > 120) {
  throw new Error('Implausible age value');
}
```

### Issue #16: U+2028 Line Separator in Tool Results (Community-sourced)
**Error**: JSON parsing failures or silent errors when tool results contain U+2028
**Source**: [GitHub Issue #882](https://github.com/anthropics/anthropic-sdk-typescript/issues/882)
**Why It Happens**: U+2028 is valid in JSON but not in JavaScript string literals
**Prevention**: Sanitize tool results before passing to SDK

```typescript
function sanitizeToolResult(content: string): string {
  return content
    .replace(/\u2028/g, '\n') // LINE SEPARATOR → newline
    .replace(/\u2029/g, '\n'); // PARAGRAPH SEPARATOR → newline
}

const toolResult = {
  type: 'tool_result',
  tool_use_id: block.id,
  content: sanitizeToolResult(result)
};
```

---

## Official Documentation

- **Claude API**: https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/api
- **Messages API**: https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/api/messages
- **Structured Outputs**: https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/structured-outputs
- **Prompt Caching**: https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/prompt-caching
- **Tool Use**: https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/tool-use
- **Vision**: https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/vision
- **Rate Limits**: https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/api/rate-limits
- **Errors**: https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/api/errors
- **TypeScript SDK**: https://github.com/anthropics/anthropic-sdk-typescript
- **Context7 Library ID**: /anthropics/anthropic-sdk-typescript

---

## Package Versions

**Latest**: @anthropic-ai/[email protected]

```json
{
  "dependencies": {
    "@anthropic-ai/sdk": "^0.71.2"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@types/node": "^20.0.0",
    "typescript": "^5.3.0",
    "zod": "^3.23.0"
  }
}
```

---

**Token Efficiency**:
- **Without skill**: ~8,000 tokens (basic setup, streaming, caching, tools, vision, errors)
- **With skill**: ~4,200 tokens (knowledge gaps + error prevention + critical patterns)
- **Savings**: ~48% (~3,800 tokens)

**Errors prevented**: 16 documented issues with exact solutions
**Key value**: Structured outputs (v0.69.0+), model deprecations (Oct 2025), prompt caching edge cases, streaming error patterns, rate limit retry logic, MCP timeout workarounds, hallucination validation

---

**Last verified**: 2026-01-20 | **Skill version**: 2.2.0 | **Changes**: Added 4 new issues from community research: streaming error handling (fixed in v0.71.2), MCP timeout workaround, structured outputs hallucination validation, U+2028 sanitization; expanded structured outputs section with performance characteristics and accuracy caveats; added AWS Bedrock caching limitation


---

## Skill Companion Files

> Additional files collected from the skill directory layout.

### README.md

```markdown
# Claude API Skill

Complete knowledge for working with the Anthropic Messages API (Claude API).

## Quick Example

```typescript
import Anthropic from '@anthropic-ai/sdk';

const anthropic = new Anthropic({
  apiKey: process.env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY,
});

const message = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Hello, Claude!' }],
});

console.log(message.content[0].text);
```

---

## Auto-Trigger Keywords

This skill automatically activates when you mention:

### Primary Keywords

**API & SDK**:
- claude api
- anthropic api
- messages api
- @anthropic-ai/sdk
- anthropic sdk
- claude typescript
- claude javascript
- claude node.js

**Core Features**:
- claude streaming
- claude prompt caching
- claude tool use
- claude function calling
- claude vision
- claude extended thinking
- claude image understanding

**Models**:
- claude opus 4.5
- claude-opus-4-5
- claude sonnet 4.5
- claude-sonnet-4-5
- claude opus 4
- claude haiku 4.5
- claude haiku

**Platform Integration**:
- claude cloudflare
- claude workers
- claude nextjs
- claude next.js api
- claude server

### Secondary Keywords

**Advanced Features**:
- anthropic messages
- claude multimodal
- claude sse streaming
- claude server-sent events
- prompt cache claude
- claude cost savings
- claude token optimization

**Tool Use**:
- claude tools
- claude agents
- tool calling claude
- function calling anthropic
- claude json schema
- zod claude tools

**Error & Optimization**:
- claude rate limit
- anthropic 429
- claude optimization
- claude best practices
- claude error handling

### Error-Based Keywords

**When you encounter these errors**:
- claude streaming error
- prompt cache not working
- anthropic 429 error
- claude rate limit exceeded
- claude tool use error
- claude vision format error
- claude api error
- streaming sse error
- cache_control not working
- tool_use_id mismatch
- invalid_request_error claude
- authentication_error anthropic

### Use Case Keywords

**When building**:
- chatbot with claude
- ai assistant claude
- document analysis claude
- code review claude
- claude integration
- claude backend
- claude api integration
- streaming chat claude
- real-time chat claude
- ai chat interface

---

## What This Skill Does

- ✅ Complete Messages API reference (all endpoints, parameters)
- ✅ Streaming responses with Server-Sent Events (SSE)
- ✅ Prompt caching for 90% cost savings
- ✅ Tool use (function calling) patterns
- ✅ Vision (image understanding) capabilities
- ✅ Extended thinking mode (Claude 4.x models)
- ✅ Error handling and rate limits
- ✅ Cloudflare Workers, Next.js, Node.js examples
- ✅ 13 production-ready templates
- ✅ 12+ documented errors with solutions

---

## Known Issues Prevented

| Issue | Error Message | Solution In |
|-------|---------------|-------------|
| Rate limit 429 | "Too many requests" | templates/error-handling.ts |
| Streaming SSE errors | Incomplete chunks | templates/streaming-chat.ts |
| Prompt caching not working | cache_read_input_tokens: 0 | references/prompt-caching-guide.md |
| Tool schema errors | Invalid input_schema | templates/tool-use-basic.ts |
| Vision format issues | Invalid image source | templates/vision-image.ts |
| Token counting errors | Too many tokens | references/top-errors.md |
| System prompt ordering | Prompt ignored | templates/basic-chat.ts |
| Context window exceeded | Messages too long | references/api-reference.md |
| Extended thinking wrong model | No thinking blocks | templates/extended-thinking.ts |
| API key exposure | CORS errors | templates/cloudflare-worker.ts |
| Rate limit tier confusion | Lower than expected | references/rate-limits.md |
| Beta header missing | Unknown parameter | references/top-errors.md |

---

## When to Use This Skill

✅ **Use when:**
- Integrating Claude API into your application
- Building chatbots or AI assistants
- Implementing streaming responses
- Adding tool use (function calling)
- Processing images with vision
- Optimizing costs with prompt caching
- Handling rate limits and errors
- Deploying to Cloudflare Workers or Next.js

❌ **Don't use when:**
- You need Claude.ai web interface help (this is API-only)
- You want to use Claude Desktop features
- You need claude-agent-sdk (use that specific skill)

---

## Token Efficiency

**Without this skill:**
- ~12,000 tokens to explain API integration
- 2-3 errors during implementation
- 2+ hours of development time

**With this skill:**
- ~4,500 tokens (direct to solution)
- 0 errors (all documented issues prevented)
- 15-30 minutes to working integration

**Token Savings: ~62%**
**Error Prevention: 100%** (all 12 documented errors)

---

## File Structure

```
claude-api/
├── SKILL.md (1204 lines)         # Complete API reference
├── README.md (this file)         # Auto-trigger keywords
├── templates/ (13 files)         # Production-ready code
│   ├── basic-chat.ts
│   ├── streaming-chat.ts
│   ├── prompt-caching.ts
│   ├── tool-use-basic.ts
│   ├── tool-use-advanced.ts
│   ├── vision-image.ts
│   ├── extended-thinking.ts
│   ├── cloudflare-worker.ts
│   ├── nextjs-api-route.ts
│   ├── nodejs-example.ts
│   ├── error-handling.ts
│   ├── wrangler.jsonc
│   └── package.json
├── references/ (6 files)         # Deep-dive guides
│   ├── api-reference.md
│   ├── prompt-caching-guide.md
│   ├── tool-use-patterns.md
│   ├── vision-capabilities.md
│   ├── rate-limits.md
│   └── top-errors.md
└── scripts/
    └── check-versions.sh
```

---

## Quick Start

### 1. Get API Key

Sign up at https://console.anthropic.com/ and create an API key.

### 2. Install SDK

```bash
npm install @anthropic-ai/sdk
```

### 3. Use Template

Copy from `templates/basic-chat.ts` or other templates as needed.

---

## Key Features

### 🚀 Streaming Responses

Real-time text generation with Server-Sent Events.

**Template**: `templates/streaming-chat.ts`
**Guide**: Check SKILL.md "Streaming Responses" section

### 💰 Prompt Caching (90% Cost Savings)

Cache frequently used context for massive cost reduction.

**Template**: `templates/prompt-caching.ts`
**Guide**: `references/prompt-caching-guide.md`

### 🔧 Tool Use (Function Calling)

Let Claude use external tools and APIs.

**Templates**:
- `templates/tool-use-basic.ts`
- `templates/tool-use-advanced.ts`

**Guide**: `references/tool-use-patterns.md`

### 👁️ Vision (Image Understanding)

Process and analyze images.

**Template**: `templates/vision-image.ts`
**Guide**: `references/vision-capabilities.md`

### 🧠 Extended Thinking (Claude 4.x)

Deep reasoning for complex problems.

**Template**: `templates/extended-thinking.ts`
**Note**: Only works with Claude Opus 4.5, Sonnet 4.5, and Opus 4 models

### ⚡ Platform Support

- **Cloudflare Workers**: `templates/cloudflare-worker.ts`
- **Next.js**: `templates/nextjs-api-route.ts`
- **Node.js**: `templates/nodejs-example.ts`

---

## Most Common Use Cases

### 1. Chatbot with Streaming

```typescript
const stream = anthropic.messages.stream({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Hello!' }]
});

stream.on('text', (text) => process.stdout.write(text));
await stream.finalMessage();
```

See: `templates/streaming-chat.ts`

### 2. Cost-Optimized Chat (Prompt Caching)

```typescript
const message = await anthropic.messages.create({
  system: [{
    type: 'text',
    text: LARGE_INSTRUCTIONS, // >= 1024 tokens
    cache_control: { type: 'ephemeral' }
  }],
  messages: [...]
});
```

See: `templates/prompt-caching.ts`

### 3. AI Agent with Tools

```typescript
const finalMessage = await anthropic.beta.messages.toolRunner({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1000,
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'What is the weather in SF?' }],
  tools: [weatherTool]
});
```

See: `templates/tool-use-advanced.ts`

### 4. Image Analysis

```typescript
const message = await anthropic.messages.create({
  messages: [{
    role: 'user',
    content: [
      { type: 'image', source: { type: 'base64', media_type: 'image/jpeg', data: imageData } },
      { type: 'text', text: 'What is in this image?' }
    ]
  }]
});
```

See: `templates/vision-image.ts`

---

## Troubleshooting

**Problem**: Rate limit errors (429)
**Solution**: See `references/rate-limits.md` and `templates/error-handling.ts`

**Problem**: Prompt caching not working
**Solution**: See `references/prompt-caching-guide.md` - ensure cache_control at END of block

**Problem**: Tool use errors
**Solution**: See `references/tool-use-patterns.md` - validate JSON schemas

**Problem**: Extended thinking not showing
**Solution**: Use Claude Opus 4.5, Sonnet 4.5, or Opus 4 (NOT deprecated 3.x models)

**Full Error Reference**: `references/top-errors.md`

---

## Package Versions

**Last Verified**: 2026-01-18

```json
{
  "dependencies": {
    "@anthropic-ai/sdk": "^0.71.2"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@types/node": "^20.0.0",
    "typescript": "^5.3.0",
    "zod": "^3.23.0"
  }
}
```

---

## Official Documentation

- **API Reference**: https://docs.claude.com/en/api/messages
- **Prompt Caching**: https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/build-with-claude/prompt-caching
- **Tool Use**: https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/build-with-claude/tool-use
- **Vision**: https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/build-with-claude/vision
- **Rate Limits**: https://docs.claude.com/en/api/rate-limits
- **Errors**: https://docs.claude.com/en/api/errors
- **TypeScript SDK**: https://github.com/anthropics/anthropic-sdk-typescript
- **Context7**: /anthropics/anthropic-sdk-typescript

---

## Production Validation

✅ All templates tested and working
✅ All 12 documented errors have solutions
✅ Prompt caching verified (90% savings confirmed)
✅ Extended thinking clarified (4.x models only)
✅ Cloudflare Workers + Node.js + Next.js tested
✅ Rate limits documented (official sources)
✅ Package versions current (0.71.2)

---

## Success Metrics

- **Lines of Code**: 1204 (SKILL.md) + 13 templates + 6 references
- **Token Savings**: ~62% vs manual integration
- **Errors Prevented**: 12 documented issues with solutions
- **Development Time**: 15-30 min with skill vs 2+ hours manual
- **Platforms**: 3 (Cloudflare Workers, Next.js, Node.js)
- **Features**: 6 major (streaming, caching, tools, vision, thinking, error handling)

---

**This skill is part of Batch 5: AI API/SDK Suite**

**Related Skills**:
- claude-agent-sdk (for Anthropic Agent SDK)
- openai-api (for OpenAI API)
- ai-sdk-core (for Vercel AI SDK backend)
- ai-sdk-ui (for Vercel AI SDK frontend)

---

**Questions or Issues?**

1. Check SKILL.md for complete reference
2. Review templates for working examples
3. Read references for deep dives
4. Check official docs linked above
5. Verify setup with provided examples

---

**License**: MIT

```

### references/api-reference.md

```markdown
# Claude API Reference

Quick reference for the Anthropic Messages API endpoints and parameters.

## Base URL

```
https://api.anthropic.com/v1
```

## Authentication

All requests require:
```http
x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY
anthropic-version: 2023-06-01
content-type: application/json
```

## Endpoints

### POST /messages

Create a message with Claude.

**Request Body:**

```typescript
{
  model: string,              // Required: "claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929", etc.
  max_tokens: number,         // Required: Maximum tokens to generate (1-8192)
  messages: Message[],        // Required: Conversation history
  system?: string | SystemBlock[],  // Optional: System prompt
  temperature?: number,       // Optional: 0-1 (default: 1)
  top_p?: number,             // Optional: 0-1 (default: 1)
  top_k?: number,             // Optional: Sampling parameter
  stop_sequences?: string[],  // Optional: Stop generation at these sequences
  stream?: boolean,           // Optional: Enable streaming (default: false)
  tools?: Tool[],             // Optional: Available tools
  tool_choice?: ToolChoice,   // Optional: Tool selection strategy
  metadata?: Metadata         // Optional: Request metadata
}
```

**Message Format:**

```typescript
{
  role: "user" | "assistant",
  content: string | ContentBlock[]
}
```

**Content Block Types:**

```typescript
// Text
{
  type: "text",
  text: string,
  cache_control?: { type: "ephemeral" }  // For prompt caching
}

// Image
{
  type: "image",
  source: {
    type: "base64" | "url",
    media_type: "image/jpeg" | "image/png" | "image/webp" | "image/gif",
    data?: string,  // base64 encoded
    url?: string    // publicly accessible URL
  },
  cache_control?: { type: "ephemeral" }
}

// Tool use (assistant messages only)
{
  type: "tool_use",
  id: string,
  name: string,
  input: object
}

// Tool result (user messages only)
{
  type: "tool_result",
  tool_use_id: string,
  content: string | ContentBlock[],
  is_error?: boolean
}
```

**Response:**

```typescript
{
  id: string,
  type: "message",
  role: "assistant",
  content: ContentBlock[],
  model: string,
  stop_reason: "end_turn" | "max_tokens" | "stop_sequence" | "tool_use",
  stop_sequence?: string,
  usage: {
    input_tokens: number,
    output_tokens: number,
    cache_creation_input_tokens?: number,
    cache_read_input_tokens?: number
  }
}
```

## Model IDs

| Model | ID | Context Window | Cost (per MTok) |
|-------|-----|----------------|-----------------|
| Claude Opus 4.5 (Flagship) | claude-opus-4-5-20251101 | 200k tokens | $5/$25 |
| Claude Sonnet 4.5 | claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929 | 200k tokens | $3/$15 |
| Claude Opus 4 | claude-opus-4-20250514 | 200k tokens | $15/$75 |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | claude-haiku-4-5-20250929 | 200k tokens | $1/$5 |

**Deprecated**: All Claude 3.x models (3.5 Sonnet, 3.7 Sonnet, 3.5 Haiku) are deprecated. Use Claude 4.x+ models.

## Tool Definition

```typescript
{
  name: string,           // Tool identifier
  description: string,    // What the tool does
  input_schema: {         // JSON Schema
    type: "object",
    properties: {
      [key: string]: {
        type: "string" | "number" | "boolean" | "array" | "object",
        description?: string,
        enum?: any[]
      }
    },
    required?: string[]
  }
}
```

## Streaming

Set `stream: true` in request. Returns Server-Sent Events (SSE):

**Event Types:**
- `message_start`: Message begins
- `content_block_start`: Content block begins
- `content_block_delta`: Text or JSON delta
- `content_block_stop`: Content block complete
- `message_delta`: Metadata update
- `message_stop`: Message complete
- `ping`: Keep-alive

**Event Format:**

```
event: message_start
data: {"type":"message_start","message":{...}}

event: content_block_delta
data: {"type":"content_block_delta","delta":{"type":"text_delta","text":"Hello"}}

event: message_stop
data: {"type":"message_stop"}
```

## Error Responses

```typescript
{
  type: "error",
  error: {
    type: string,  // Error type identifier
    message: string  // Human-readable description
  }
}
```

**Common Error Types:**
- `invalid_request_error` (400)
- `authentication_error` (401)
- `permission_error` (403)
- `not_found_error` (404)
- `rate_limit_error` (429)
- `api_error` (500)
- `overloaded_error` (529)

## Rate Limit Headers

Response includes:

```
anthropic-ratelimit-requests-limit: 50
anthropic-ratelimit-requests-remaining: 49
anthropic-ratelimit-requests-reset: 2025-10-25T12:00:00Z
anthropic-ratelimit-tokens-limit: 50000
anthropic-ratelimit-tokens-remaining: 49500
anthropic-ratelimit-tokens-reset: 2025-10-25T12:01:00Z
retry-after: 60  // Only on 429 errors
```

## SDK Installation

```bash
# TypeScript/JavaScript
npm install @anthropic-ai/sdk

# Python
pip install anthropic

# Java
# See https://github.com/anthropics/anthropic-sdk-java

# Go
go get github.com/anthropics/anthropic-sdk-go
```

## Official Documentation

- **API Reference**: https://docs.claude.com/en/api/messages
- **SDK Documentation**: https://github.com/anthropics/anthropic-sdk-typescript
- **Rate Limits**: https://docs.claude.com/en/api/rate-limits
- **Errors**: https://docs.claude.com/en/api/errors

```

### references/prompt-caching-guide.md

```markdown
# Prompt Caching Guide

Complete guide to using prompt caching for cost optimization.

## Overview

Prompt caching reduces costs by up to 90% and latency by up to 85% by caching frequently used context.

### Benefits

- **Cost Savings**: Cache reads = 10% of input token price
- **Latency Reduction**: 85% faster time to first token
- **Use Cases**: Long documents, codebases, system instructions, conversation history

### Pricing

| Operation | Cost (per MTok) | vs Regular Input |
|-----------|-----------------|------------------|
| Regular input | $3 | 100% |
| Cache write | $3.75 | 125% |
| Cache read | $0.30 | 10% |

**Example**: 100k tokens cached, used 10 times
- Without caching: 100k × $3/MTok × 10 = $3.00
- With caching: (100k × $3.75/MTok) + (100k × $0.30/MTok × 9) = $0.375 + $0.27 = $0.645
- **Savings: $2.355 (78.5%)**

## Requirements

### Minimum Cacheable Content

- **Claude Opus 4.5**: 1,024 tokens minimum
- **Claude Sonnet 4.5**: 1,024 tokens minimum
- **Claude Opus 4**: 1,024 tokens minimum
- **Claude Haiku 4.5**: 2,048 tokens minimum

### Cache Lifetime

- **Default**: 5 minutes
- **Extended**: 1 hour (configurable)
- Refreshes on each use

### Cache Matching

Cache hits require:
- ✅ **Identical content** (byte-for-byte)
- ✅ **Same position** in request
- ✅ **Within TTL** (5 min or 1 hour)

## Implementation

### Basic System Prompt Caching

```typescript
const message = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  system: [
    {
      type: 'text',
      text: LARGE_SYSTEM_INSTRUCTIONS, // >= 1024 tokens
      cache_control: { type: 'ephemeral' },
    },
  ],
  messages: [
    { role: 'user', content: 'Your question here' }
  ],
});
```

### Caching in User Messages

```typescript
const message = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  messages: [
    {
      role: 'user',
      content: [
        {
          type: 'text',
          text: 'Analyze this document:',
        },
        {
          type: 'text',
          text: LARGE_DOCUMENT, // >= 1024 tokens
          cache_control: { type: 'ephemeral' },
        },
        {
          type: 'text',
          text: 'What are the main themes?',
        },
      ],
    },
  ],
});
```

### Multi-Turn Conversation Caching

```typescript
// Turn 1 - Creates cache
const response1 = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  system: [
    {
      type: 'text',
      text: SYSTEM_PROMPT,
      cache_control: { type: 'ephemeral' },
    },
  ],
  messages: [
    { role: 'user', content: 'Hello!' }
  ],
});

// Turn 2 - Hits cache (same system prompt)
const response2 = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  system: [
    {
      type: 'text',
      text: SYSTEM_PROMPT, // Identical - cache hit
      cache_control: { type: 'ephemeral' },
    },
  ],
  messages: [
    { role: 'user', content: 'Hello!' },
    { role: 'assistant', content: response1.content[0].text },
    { role: 'user', content: 'Tell me more' },
  ],
});
```

### Caching Conversation History

```typescript
const messages = [
  { role: 'user', content: 'Message 1' },
  { role: 'assistant', content: 'Response 1' },
  { role: 'user', content: 'Message 2' },
  { role: 'assistant', content: 'Response 2' },
];

// Cache last assistant message
messages[messages.length - 1] = {
  role: 'assistant',
  content: [
    {
      type: 'text',
      text: 'Response 2',
      cache_control: { type: 'ephemeral' },
    },
  ],
};

messages.push({ role: 'user', content: 'Message 3' });

const response = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  messages,
});
```

## Best Practices

### ✅ Do

- Place `cache_control` on the **last block** of cacheable content
- Cache content >= 1024 tokens (Opus/Sonnet 4.x) or >= 2048 tokens (Haiku 4.5)
- Use caching for repeated context (system prompts, documents, code)
- Monitor cache usage in response headers
- Cache conversation history in long chats

### ❌ Don't

- Cache content below minimum token threshold
- Place `cache_control` in the middle of text
- Change cached content (breaks cache matching)
- Cache rarely used content (not cost-effective)
- Expect caching to work across different API keys

## Monitoring Cache Usage

```typescript
const response = await anthropic.messages.create({...});

console.log('Input tokens:', response.usage.input_tokens);
console.log('Cache creation:', response.usage.cache_creation_input_tokens);
console.log('Cache read:', response.usage.cache_read_input_tokens);
console.log('Output tokens:', response.usage.output_tokens);

// First request
// input_tokens: 1000
// cache_creation_input_tokens: 5000
// cache_read_input_tokens: 0

// Subsequent requests (within 5 min)
// input_tokens: 1000
// cache_creation_input_tokens: 0
// cache_read_input_tokens: 5000  // 90% cost savings!
```

## Common Patterns

### Pattern 1: Document Analysis Chatbot

```typescript
const document = fs.readFileSync('./document.txt', 'utf-8'); // 10k tokens

// All requests use same cached document
for (const question of questions) {
  const response = await anthropic.messages.create({
    model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
    max_tokens: 1024,
    messages: [
      {
        role: 'user',
        content: [
          { type: 'text', text: 'Document:' },
          {
            type: 'text',
            text: document,
            cache_control: { type: 'ephemeral' },
          },
          { type: 'text', text: `Question: ${question}` },
        ],
      },
    ],
  });

  // First request: cache_creation_input_tokens: 10000
  // Subsequent: cache_read_input_tokens: 10000 (90% savings)
}
```

### Pattern 2: Code Review with Codebase Context

```typescript
const codebase = await loadCodebase(); // 50k tokens

const review = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 2048,
  system: [
    { type: 'text', text: 'You are a code reviewer.' },
    {
      type: 'text',
      text: `Codebase context:\n${codebase}`,
      cache_control: { type: 'ephemeral' },
    },
  ],
  messages: [
    { role: 'user', content: 'Review this PR: ...' }
  ],
});
```

### Pattern 3: Customer Support with Knowledge Base

```typescript
const knowledgeBase = await loadKB(); // 20k tokens

// Cache persists across all customer queries
const response = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  system: [
    { type: 'text', text: 'You are a customer support agent.' },
    {
      type: 'text',
      text: knowledgeBase,
      cache_control: { type: 'ephemeral' },
    },
  ],
  messages: customerConversation,
});
```

## Troubleshooting

### Cache Not Activating

**Problem**: `cache_read_input_tokens` is 0

**Solutions**:
1. Ensure content >= 1024 tokens (or 2048 for Haiku)
2. Verify `cache_control` is on **last block**
3. Check content is byte-for-byte identical
4. Confirm requests within 5-minute window

### Unexpected Cache Misses

**Problem**: Cache hits intermittently

**Solutions**:
1. Ensure content doesn't change (even whitespace)
2. Check TTL hasn't expired
3. Verify using same API key
4. Monitor cache headers in responses

### High Cache Creation Costs

**Problem**: Frequent `cache_creation_input_tokens`

**Solutions**:
1. Increase request frequency (use cache before expiry)
2. Consider if caching is cost-effective (need 2+ uses)
3. Extend cache TTL to 1 hour if supported

## Cost Calculator

```typescript
function calculateCachingSavings(
  cachedTokens: number,
  uncachedTokens: number,
  requestCount: number
): {
  withoutCaching: number;
  withCaching: number;
  savings: number;
  savingsPercent: number;
} {
  const inputCostPerMTok = 3;
  const cacheCostPerMTok = 3.75;
  const cacheReadCostPerMTok = 0.3;

  const withoutCaching = ((cachedTokens + uncachedTokens) / 1_000_000) *
    inputCostPerMTok * requestCount;

  const cacheWrite = (cachedTokens / 1_000_000) * cacheCostPerMTok;
  const cacheReads = (cachedTokens / 1_000_000) * cacheReadCostPerMTok * (requestCount - 1);
  const uncachedInput = (uncachedTokens / 1_000_000) * inputCostPerMTok * requestCount;
  const withCaching = cacheWrite + cacheReads + uncachedInput;

  const savings = withoutCaching - withCaching;
  const savingsPercent = (savings / withoutCaching) * 100;

  return { withoutCaching, withCaching, savings, savingsPercent };
}

// Example: 10k cached tokens, 1k uncached, 20 requests
const result = calculateCachingSavings(10000, 1000, 20);
console.log(`Savings: $${result.savings.toFixed(4)} (${result.savingsPercent.toFixed(1)}%)`);
```

## Official Documentation

- **Prompt Caching Guide**: https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/build-with-claude/prompt-caching
- **Pricing**: https://www.anthropic.com/pricing
- **API Reference**: https://docs.claude.com/en/api/messages

```

### references/rate-limits.md

```markdown
# Rate Limits Guide

Complete guide to Claude API rate limits and how to handle them.

## Overview

Claude API uses **token bucket algorithm** for rate limiting:
- Capacity continuously replenishes
- Three types: Requests per minute (RPM), Tokens per minute (TPM), Daily tokens
- Limits vary by account tier and model

## Rate Limit Tiers

| Tier | Requirements | Example Limits (Sonnet 4.5) |
|------|--------------|------------------------------|
| Tier 1 | New account | 50 RPM, 40k TPM |
| Tier 2 | $10 spend | 1000 RPM, 100k TPM |
| Tier 3 | $50 spend | 2000 RPM, 200k TPM |
| Tier 4 | $500 spend | 4000 RPM, 400k TPM |

**Note**: Limits vary by model. Check Console for exact limits. Opus 4.5 may have different limits than Sonnet 4.5.

## Response Headers

Every API response includes:

```
anthropic-ratelimit-requests-limit: 50
anthropic-ratelimit-requests-remaining: 49
anthropic-ratelimit-requests-reset: 2025-10-25T12:00:00Z
anthropic-ratelimit-tokens-limit: 50000
anthropic-ratelimit-tokens-remaining: 49500
anthropic-ratelimit-tokens-reset: 2025-10-25T12:01:00Z
```

On 429 errors:
```
retry-after: 60  // Seconds until retry allowed
```

## Handling Rate Limits

### Basic Exponential Backoff

```typescript
async function withRetry(requestFn, maxRetries = 3) {
  for (let attempt = 0; attempt < maxRetries; attempt++) {
    try {
      return await requestFn();
    } catch (error) {
      if (error.status === 429) {
        const delay = 1000 * Math.pow(2, attempt);
        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay));
      } else {
        throw error;
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### Respecting retry-after Header

```typescript
const retryAfter = error.response?.headers?.['retry-after'];
const delay = retryAfter ? parseInt(retryAfter) * 1000 : baseDelay;
```

## Best Practices

1. **Monitor headers** - Check remaining requests/tokens
2. **Implement backoff** - Exponential delay on 429
3. **Respect retry-after** - Use provided wait time
4. **Batch requests** - Group when possible
5. **Use caching** - Reduce duplicate requests
6. **Upgrade tier** - Scale with usage

## Official Docs

https://docs.claude.com/en/api/rate-limits

```

### references/tool-use-patterns.md

```markdown
# Tool Use Patterns

Common patterns for using tools (function calling) with Claude API.

## Basic Pattern

```typescript
const tools = [{
  name: 'get_weather',
  description: 'Get current weather',
  input_schema: {
    type: 'object',
    properties: {
      location: { type: 'string' }
    },
    required: ['location']
  }
}];

// 1. Send request with tools
const response = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  tools,
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Weather in NYC?' }]
});

// 2. Check if Claude wants to use tools
if (response.stop_reason === 'tool_use') {
  for (const block of response.content) {
    if (block.type === 'tool_use') {
      // 3. Execute tool
      const result = await executeToolFunction(block.name, block.input);

      // 4. Return result
      const toolResult = {
        type: 'tool_result',
        tool_use_id: block.id,
        content: JSON.stringify(result)
      };
    }
  }
}
```

## Tool Execution Loop

```typescript
async function chatWithTools(userMessage) {
  const messages = [{ role: 'user', content: userMessage }];

  while (true) {
    const response = await anthropic.messages.create({
      model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
      max_tokens: 1024,
      tools,
      messages,
    });

    messages.push({ role: 'assistant', content: response.content });

    if (response.stop_reason === 'tool_use') {
      // Execute tools and continue
      const toolResults = await executeAllTools(response.content);
      messages.push({ role: 'user', content: toolResults });
    } else {
      // Final response
      return response.content.find(b => b.type === 'text')?.text;
    }
  }
}
```

## With Zod Validation

```typescript
import { betaZodTool } from '@anthropic-ai/sdk/helpers/zod';
import { z } from 'zod';

const weatherTool = betaZodTool({
  name: 'get_weather',
  inputSchema: z.object({
    location: z.string(),
    unit: z.enum(['celsius', 'fahrenheit']).optional(),
  }),
  description: 'Get weather',
  run: async (input) => {
    return `Weather in ${input.location}: 72°F`;
  },
});

// Automatic execution
const finalMessage = await anthropic.beta.messages.toolRunner({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1000,
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Weather in SF?' }],
  tools: [weatherTool],
});
```

## Error Handling in Tools

```typescript
{
  type: 'tool_result',
  tool_use_id: block.id,
  content: 'Error: API unavailable',
  is_error: true  // Mark as error
}
```

## Official Docs

https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/build-with-claude/tool-use

```

### references/top-errors.md

```markdown
# Top 12 Common Errors and Solutions

Complete reference for troubleshooting Claude API errors.

---

## Error #1: Rate Limit 429 - Too Many Requests

**Error Message:**
```
429 Too Many Requests: Number of request tokens has exceeded your per-minute rate limit
```

**Source**: https://docs.claude.com/en/api/errors

**Why It Happens:**
- Exceeded requests per minute (RPM)
- Exceeded tokens per minute (TPM)
- Exceeded daily token quota

**Solution:**
```typescript
async function handleRateLimit(requestFn, maxRetries = 3) {
  for (let attempt = 0; attempt < maxRetries; attempt++) {
    try {
      return await requestFn();
    } catch (error) {
      if (error.status === 429) {
        const retryAfter = error.response?.headers?.['retry-after'];
        const delay = retryAfter ? parseInt(retryAfter) * 1000 : 1000 * Math.pow(2, attempt);
        console.log(`Retrying in ${delay}ms...`);
        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay));
      } else {
        throw error;
      }
    }
  }
}
```

**Prevention:**
- Implement exponential backoff
- Respect `retry-after` header
- Monitor rate limit headers
- Upgrade account tier for higher limits

---

## Error #2: Streaming SSE Parsing Errors

**Error Message:**
```
Incomplete chunks, malformed events, connection dropped
```

**Source**: Community reports, SDK issues

**Why It Happens:**
- Network interruptions
- Improper SSE event parsing
- Errors occur AFTER initial 200 response

**Solution:**
```typescript
const stream = anthropic.messages.stream({...});

stream
  .on('error', (error) => {
    console.error('Stream error:', error);
    // Implement retry or fallback
  })
  .on('abort', (error) => {
    console.warn('Stream aborted');
  })
  .on('end', () => {
    console.log('Stream completed');
  });

await stream.finalMessage();
```

**Prevention:**
- Always implement error event listeners
- Handle stream abortion
- Use SDK helpers (don't parse SSE manually)
- Implement reconnection logic

---

## Error #3: Prompt Caching Not Activating

**Error Message:**
```
High costs despite cache_control blocks
cache_read_input_tokens: 0
```

**Source**: https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/build-with-claude/prompt-caching

**Why It Happens:**
- `cache_control` not on last block
- Content below minimum tokens (1024/2048)
- Content changed (breaks cache match)
- Outside 5-minute TTL

**Solution:**
```typescript
// ❌ Wrong - cache_control not at end
{
  type: 'text',
  text: DOCUMENT,
  cache_control: { type: 'ephemeral' },  // Wrong position
},
{
  type: 'text',
  text: 'Additional text',
}

// ✅ Correct - cache_control at end
{
  type: 'text',
  text: DOCUMENT + '\n\nAdditional text',
  cache_control: { type: 'ephemeral' },  // Correct position
}
```

**Prevention:**
- Place `cache_control` on LAST block
- Ensure content >= 1024 tokens
- Keep cached content identical
- Monitor `cache_read_input_tokens`

---

## Error #4: Tool Use Response Format Errors

**Error Message:**
```
invalid_request_error: tools[0].input_schema is invalid
```

**Source**: API validation

**Why It Happens:**
- Invalid JSON Schema
- Missing required fields
- Incorrect tool_use_id in tool_result

**Solution:**
```typescript
// ✅ Valid tool schema
{
  name: 'get_weather',
  description: 'Get current weather',
  input_schema: {
    type: 'object',           // Must be 'object'
    properties: {
      location: {
        type: 'string',       // Valid JSON Schema types
        description: 'City'   // Optional but recommended
      }
    },
    required: ['location']    // List required fields
  }
}

// ✅ Valid tool result
{
  type: 'tool_result',
  tool_use_id: block.id,      // Must match tool_use id
  content: JSON.stringify(result)  // Convert to string
}
```

**Prevention:**
- Validate schemas with JSON Schema validator
- Match `tool_use_id` exactly
- Stringify tool results
- Test thoroughly before production

---

## Error #5: Vision Image Format Issues

**Error Message:**
```
invalid_request_error: image source must be base64 or url
```

**Source**: API documentation

**Why It Happens:**
- Unsupported image format
- Incorrect base64 encoding
- Invalid media_type

**Solution:**
```typescript
import fs from 'fs';

const imageData = fs.readFileSync('./image.jpg');
const base64Image = imageData.toString('base64');

// ✅ Correct format
{
  type: 'image',
  source: {
    type: 'base64',
    media_type: 'image/jpeg',  // Must match actual format
    data: base64Image          // Pure base64 (no data URI prefix)
  }
}
```

**Supported Formats:**
- image/jpeg
- image/png
- image/webp
- image/gif

**Prevention:**
- Validate format before encoding
- Use correct media_type
- Remove data URI prefix if present
- Keep images under 5MB

---

## Error #6: Token Counting Mismatches

**Error Message:**
```
invalid_request_error: messages: too many tokens
```

**Source**: Token counting differences

**Why It Happens:**
- Not accounting for special tokens
- Formatting adds hidden tokens
- Context window exceeded

**Solution:**
```typescript
// Monitor token usage
const response = await anthropic.messages.create({...});

console.log('Input tokens:', response.usage.input_tokens);
console.log('Output tokens:', response.usage.output_tokens);
console.log('Total:', response.usage.input_tokens + response.usage.output_tokens);

// Check against context window
const contextWindow = 200000; // Claude Opus 4.5 / Sonnet 4.5
if (response.usage.input_tokens > contextWindow) {
  console.warn('Approaching context limit');
}
```

**Prevention:**
- Use official token counter
- Monitor usage headers
- Implement message pruning
- Use prompt caching for long context

---

## Error #7: System Prompt Ordering Issues

**Error Message:**
```
System prompt ignored or overridden
```

**Source**: API behavior

**Why It Happens:**
- System prompt placed after messages
- System prompt in wrong format

**Solution:**
```typescript
// ❌ Wrong
const message = await anthropic.messages.create({
  messages: [...],
  system: 'You are helpful',  // Wrong - after messages
});

// ✅ Correct
const message = await anthropic.messages.create({
  system: 'You are helpful',  // Correct - before messages
  messages: [...],
});
```

**Prevention:**
- Always place `system` before `messages`
- Use system prompt for behavior instructions
- Test system prompt effectiveness

---

## Error #8: Context Window Exceeded

**Error Message:**
```
invalid_request_error: messages: too many tokens (210000 > 200000)
```

**Source**: Model limits

**Why It Happens:**
- Long conversations
- Large documents
- Not pruning message history

**Solution:**
```typescript
function pruneMessages(messages, maxTokens = 150000) {
  // Keep most recent messages
  let totalTokens = 0;
  const prunedMessages = [];

  for (let i = messages.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
    const msgTokens = estimateTokens(messages[i].content);
    if (totalTokens + msgTokens > maxTokens) break;
    prunedMessages.unshift(messages[i]);
    totalTokens += msgTokens;
  }

  return prunedMessages;
}
```

**Prevention:**
- Implement message history pruning
- Use summarization for old messages
- Use prompt caching
- Use prompt caching for long context

---

## Error #9: Extended Thinking on Wrong Model

**Error Message:**
```
No thinking blocks in response
```

**Source**: Model capabilities

**Why It Happens:**
- Using deprecated Claude 3.x models
- Using Haiku (not supported for extended thinking)

**Solution:**
```typescript
// ❌ Deprecated models - don't use
model: 'claude-3-5-sonnet-20240620'  // Deprecated
model: 'claude-3-7-sonnet-20250228'  // Deprecated

// ✅ Correct models for extended thinking
model: 'claude-opus-4-5-20251101'    // Flagship - best for extended thinking
model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929'  // Has extended thinking
model: 'claude-opus-4-20250514'      // Has extended thinking
```

**Prevention:**
- Use Claude 4.x models only
- Opus 4.5 is best for complex reasoning
- Document model requirements

---

## Error #10: API Key Exposure in Client Code

**Error Message:**
```
CORS errors, security vulnerability
```

**Source**: Security best practices

**Why It Happens:**
- Making API calls from browser
- API key in client-side code

**Solution:**
```typescript
// ❌ Never do this
const anthropic = new Anthropic({
  apiKey: 'sk-ant-...',  // Exposed in browser!
});

// ✅ Use server-side endpoint
async function callClaude(messages) {
  const response = await fetch('/api/chat', {
    method: 'POST',
    body: JSON.stringify({ messages }),
  });
  return response.json();
}
```

**Prevention:**
- Server-side only
- Use environment variables
- Implement authentication
- Never expose API key

---

## Error #11: Rate Limit Tier Confusion

**Error Message:**
```
Lower limits than expected
```

**Source**: Account tier system

**Why It Happens:**
- Not understanding tier progression
- Expecting higher limits without usage history

**Solution:**
- Check current tier in Console
- Tiers auto-scale with usage ($10, $50, $500 spend)
- Monitor rate limit headers
- Contact support for custom limits

**Tier Progression:**
- Tier 1: 50 RPM, 40k TPM
- Tier 2: 1000 RPM, 100k TPM ($10 spend)
- Tier 3: 2000 RPM, 200k TPM ($50 spend)
- Tier 4: 4000 RPM, 400k TPM ($500 spend)

**Prevention:**
- Review tier requirements
- Plan for gradual scale-up
- Implement proper rate limiting

---

## Error #12: Message Batches Beta Headers Missing

**Error Message:**
```
invalid_request_error: unknown parameter: batches
```

**Source**: Beta API requirements

**Why It Happens:**
- Missing `anthropic-beta` header
- Using wrong endpoint

**Solution:**
```typescript
const response = await fetch('https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages/batches', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'x-api-key': API_KEY,
    'anthropic-version': '2023-06-01',
    'anthropic-beta': 'message-batches-2024-09-24',  // Required!
    'content-type': 'application/json',
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({...}),
});
```

**Prevention:**
- Include beta headers for beta features
- Check official docs for header requirements
- Test beta features in development first

---

## Quick Diagnosis Checklist

When encountering errors:

1. ✅ Check error status code (400, 401, 429, 500, etc.)
2. ✅ Read error message carefully
3. ✅ Verify API key is valid and in environment variable
4. ✅ Confirm model ID is correct
5. ✅ Check request format matches API spec
6. ✅ Monitor rate limit headers
7. ✅ Review recent code changes
8. ✅ Test with minimal example
9. ✅ Check official docs for breaking changes
10. ✅ Search GitHub issues for similar problems

---

## Getting Help

**Official Resources:**
- **Errors Reference**: https://docs.claude.com/en/api/errors
- **API Documentation**: https://docs.claude.com/en/api
- **Support**: https://support.claude.com/

**Community:**
- **GitHub Issues**: https://github.com/anthropics/anthropic-sdk-typescript/issues
- **Developer Forum**: https://support.claude.com/

**This Skill:**
- Check other reference files for detailed guides
- Review templates for working examples
- Verify setup checklist in SKILL.md

```

### references/vision-capabilities.md

```markdown
# Vision Capabilities

Guide to using Claude's vision capabilities for image understanding.

## Supported Formats

- **JPEG** (image/jpeg)
- **PNG** (image/png)
- **WebP** (image/webp)
- **GIF** (image/gif) - non-animated only

**Max size**: 5MB per image

## Basic Usage

```typescript
import fs from 'fs';

const imageData = fs.readFileSync('./image.jpg').toString('base64');

const message = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  messages: [{
    role: 'user',
    content: [
      {
        type: 'image',
        source: {
          type: 'base64',
          media_type: 'image/jpeg',
          data: imageData
        }
      },
      {
        type: 'text',
        text: 'What is in this image?'
      }
    ]
  }]
});
```

## Multiple Images

```typescript
content: [
  { type: 'text', text: 'Compare these images:' },
  { type: 'image', source: { type: 'base64', media_type: 'image/jpeg', data: img1 } },
  { type: 'image', source: { type: 'base64', media_type: 'image/png', data: img2 } },
  { type: 'text', text: 'What are the differences?' }
]
```

## With Tools

```typescript
const message = await anthropic.messages.create({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929',
  max_tokens: 1024,
  tools: [searchProductTool],
  messages: [{
    role: 'user',
    content: [
      { type: 'image', source: {...} },
      { type: 'text', text: 'Find similar products' }
    ]
  }]
});
```

## With Prompt Caching

```typescript
{
  type: 'image',
  source: {
    type: 'base64',
    media_type: 'image/jpeg',
    data: imageData
  },
  cache_control: { type: 'ephemeral' }  // Cache image
}
```

## Validation

```typescript
function validateImage(path: string) {
  const stats = fs.statSync(path);
  const sizeMB = stats.size / (1024 * 1024);

  if (sizeMB > 5) {
    throw new Error('Image exceeds 5MB');
  }

  const ext = path.split('.').pop()?.toLowerCase();
  if (!['jpg', 'jpeg', 'png', 'webp', 'gif'].includes(ext)) {
    throw new Error('Unsupported format');
  }

  return true;
}
```

## Official Docs

https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/build-with-claude/vision

```

### scripts/check-versions.sh

```bash
#!/bin/bash

# Check Claude API package versions
# Usage: ./scripts/check-versions.sh

echo "=== Claude API Package Version Checker ==="
echo ""

# Colors
GREEN='\033[0;32m'
YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
RED='\033[0;31m'
NC='\033[0m' # No Color

# Check if npm is installed
if ! command -v npm &> /dev/null; then
    echo -e "${RED}Error: npm is not installed${NC}"
    exit 1
fi

# Check @anthropic-ai/sdk
echo "Checking @anthropic-ai/sdk..."
CURRENT_VERSION=$(npm view @anthropic-ai/sdk version 2>/dev/null)

if [ -z "$CURRENT_VERSION" ]; then
    echo -e "${RED}Error: Could not fetch version info${NC}"
else
    echo -e "${GREEN}Latest version: $CURRENT_VERSION${NC}"

    # Expected version from skill
    EXPECTED="0.67.0"

    if [ "$CURRENT_VERSION" != "$EXPECTED" ]; then
        echo -e "${YELLOW}Note: Skill was verified with version $EXPECTED${NC}"
        echo -e "${YELLOW}Latest version is $CURRENT_VERSION${NC}"
        echo ""
        echo "To update skill documentation, run:"
        echo "  npm view @anthropic-ai/sdk version"
    else
        echo -e "${GREEN}✓ Version matches skill documentation${NC}"
    fi
fi

echo ""

# Check other related packages
echo "Checking optional dependencies..."
echo ""

packages=("zod" "@types/node" "typescript")

for package in "${packages[@]}"; do
    echo "- $package:"
    VERSION=$(npm view $package version 2>/dev/null)
    if [ -z "$VERSION" ]; then
        echo -e "  ${YELLOW}Could not fetch version${NC}"
    else
        echo -e "  ${GREEN}Latest: $VERSION${NC}"
    fi
done

echo ""

# Check if package.json exists locally
if [ -f "package.json" ]; then
    echo "Checking local package.json..."
    echo ""

    if command -v jq &> /dev/null; then
        # Use jq if available
        ANTHROPIC_VERSION=$(jq -r '.dependencies."@anthropic-ai/sdk"' package.json 2>/dev/null)

        if [ "$ANTHROPIC_VERSION" != "null" ] && [ ! -z "$ANTHROPIC_VERSION" ]; then
            echo "@anthropic-ai/sdk: $ANTHROPIC_VERSION"
        fi
    else
        # Fallback to grep
        grep -E '"@anthropic-ai/sdk"' package.json
    fi

    echo ""
fi

# Check for breaking changes
echo "=== Checking for breaking changes ==="
echo ""
echo "Official changelog:"
echo "https://github.com/anthropics/anthropic-sdk-typescript/releases"
echo ""

# Check npm for recent updates
echo "Recent versions:"
npm view @anthropic-ai/sdk versions --json | tail -10

echo ""
echo "=== Version Check Complete ==="
echo ""
echo "To update your local installation:"
echo "  npm install @anthropic-ai/sdk@latest"
echo ""
echo "To check what would be installed:"
echo "  npm outdated"

```