How to Switch Claude Code Providers (Without Restarting)

Want to move Claude Code from the official API to GLM, Kimi, DeepSeek or a relay provider — without editing config files and restarting the session every time? This guide covers both approaches: the manual settings.json edit (to understand how it works), and switching providers from your menu bar with the open-source app Keyway, where running sessions keep working.

Why switch providers at all

• Cost — official API billing adds up fast; GLM and Kimi coding plans are dramatically cheaper;
• Availability — when the official endpoint rate-limits or degrades, fail over to a backup provider instead of stopping mid-task;
• Right model for the job — Claude for refactors, a cheaper model for routine edits, a long-context model for big files.

Two environment variables decide Claude Code's provider: ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL (where requests go) and ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN (which key authenticates). "Switching providers" is just changing these two values.

Option A: edit the config manually

Edit ~/.claude/settings.json and set the target provider in env:

{
  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://open.bigmodel.cn/api/anthropic",
    "ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN": "your GLM API key"
  }
}

Anthropic-compatible endpoints for common providers:

• Zhipu GLM: https://open.bigmodel.cn/api/anthropic (same endpoint for Coding Plan)
• Moonshot Kimi: https://api.moonshot.cn/anthropic
• Official Anthropic: remove both variables to go back to direct access
• Relay providers: use whatever Anthropic-compatible base URL they document

Option B: switch with Keyway (recommended)

Keyway (MIT open source, macOS / Windows / Linux) runs a local proxy on 127.0.0.1:9527 that forwards Claude Code requests to whichever provider you select. Set it up once, and switching is a menu-bar click:

1. Add providers — pick presets like GLM or Kimi, enter any custom base URL, or import from your existing Claude Code config;
2. One-click takeover — Keyway rewrites settings.json to point at the local proxy (backing up the original first, restorable anytime);
3. Switch instantly — hit ⌘⇧K for the quick-switch panel; sessions already on the proxy need no restart, the next request goes to the new provider.

After switching, verify the actual provider, model and status code in the request log — you can see where a relay really sends your traffic instead of guessing. Add a failover chain (auto-switch to a backup when an upstream fails) and model routing rules (e.g. claude-* to official, deepseek-* to a relay). API keys live in a local SQLCipher-encrypted database with the master key in the system keychain; exports never include keys.

FAQ