How do I get an Anthropic API key for the B-Bot® chatbot?

The FAQ Chatbot plugin needs an Anthropic API key to work. Here’s how to get one:

1. Go to console.anthropic.com. This is separate from claude.ai — it’s the developer/billing side of Anthropic.

2. Log in or create an account. If you already have a claude.ai account, you can generally use the same login.

3. Add a payment method. Go to Billing in the console and add a card. New accounts typically need this on file before API calls will work, even at low usage.

4. Open Settings, then API Keys in the left sidebar.

5. Click “Create Key.” Give it a clear name — if you’re setting this up for more than one website, name each key after the site it belongs to (e.g. “yoursite-chatbot”) so you can track usage and cost per site later.

6. Copy the key immediately. It starts with sk-ant-... and is only shown once at creation. Paste it into the chatbot’s settings before navigating away from the page.

A couple of things worth knowing

• If the key doesn’t seem to work, the most common cause is a missing payment method — Anthropic requires billing to be set up before a new account’s keys will authenticate, even for small amounts of test usage.
• Consider setting a spend limit on the key in the console. This caps what you could be charged if usage is ever higher than expected.
• Keep the key private. Treat it like a password — don’t share it in emails, screenshots, or public documents.