CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GATEWAY

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GATEWAY is a Claude Code environment variable: Routes traffic through an Anthropic-operated gateway (with loopback and log-level tuning). Centralized model access for managed fleets, behind the v2.1.206 gateway-login work. Added between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212 and still present in v2.1.294. It is not in the official reference.

Status	Present in v2.1.294
Added	Added between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212
Category	Other
Official docs	Not listed

How to set it

For one session, export it in the shell that starts Claude Code:

export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GATEWAY=<value>
claude

To apply it to every session, add it to the env object of a settings file:

// ~/.claude/settings.json
{
  "env": {
    "CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GATEWAY": "<value>"
  }
}

Release notes that mention it

Related variables

CLAUDE_CODE_GATEWAY_HINT_HEADERS
CLAUDE_CODE_USE_CCR_V2: Use Claude Code Router v2 for cowork sessions.
CLAUDE_CODE_USE_NATIVE_FILE_SEARCH
USE_BUILTIN_RIPGREP: Force use of built-in ripgrep.
CLAUDE_CODE_HOST_GATEWAY_LINEAGE
CLAUDE_GATEWAY_ALLOW_LOOPBACK
ANTHROPIC_BETAS: Comma-separated beta feature headers.
ANTHROPIC_CUSTOM_HEADERS: Custom HTTP headers (newline-separated Key: Value).

Frequently asked questions

What does CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GATEWAY do?

Routes traffic through an Anthropic-operated gateway (with loopback and log-level tuning). Centralized model access for managed fleets, behind the v2.1.206 gateway-login work.

Which Claude Code version has CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GATEWAY?

Added between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212 and still present in v2.1.294.

How do I set CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GATEWAY?

Export it before starting Claude Code (export CLAUDE_CODE_USE_GATEWAY=value), or add it to the "env" object in ~/.claude/settings.json to apply it to every session.

All variables, searchable: Claude Code environment variables.