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Setup

AI in Phoenix Code is powered by Claude Code, the coding agent from Anthropic. Claude Code ships inside the desktop app, so there is nothing to install. To start chatting you need two things:

  1. A Phoenix Code account, signed in to the editor.
  2. A Claude account that pays for the AI: either a Claude subscription or an API key.

Chats are billed to the Claude account you connect, not to Phoenix Code. A free Phoenix Code account gets a limited number of chats each day and month. Phoenix Code Pro removes the limits. See Free Account Limits.

Step 1: Sign in to Phoenix Code​

Click the AI tab (sparkle icon) in the sidebar. If you are not signed in, the panel asks you to sign in to your Phoenix Code account. Click Sign In. Phoenix Code shows a verification code and opens the sign in page in your browser. Use the code there to finish. The panel updates on its own once you are signed in.

AI sign in screen

You can watch a demo before signing in. Click See a demo to see a recorded build play in the panel.

Step 2: Set up Claude Code​

Once you are signed in, the panel shows the start screen. If Claude Code is not signed in to a Claude account yet, the Visual AI with Claude Code row shows a Set up button, and the message box reads Set up Claude Code to start chatting.

Set up button

Click Set up. Phoenix Code opens its built-in terminal, starts the Claude sign-in, and opens the sign-in page in your browser. Finish signing in there. The panel picks up the login on its own when you come back to it. If it has not, click Set up again, or just send a message. No restart is needed.

You have two ways to pay for Claude:

With a Claude subscription​

Claude Code is included in Claude's paid plans (Pro and above). The free claude.ai plan does not include Claude Code.

  1. Create a Claude account at claude.ai if you don't have one.
  2. Get a plan that includes Claude Code at claude.com/pricing.
  3. Click Set up and sign in with that account in your browser.

With an API key​

If you don't want a subscription, you can pay per use with an API key instead:

  1. Create an API key at platform.claude.com.
  2. Add the key as a provider in AI Settings. With a provider active, the Claude sign-in is skipped.

You can also use any other provider with an Anthropic-compatible API. See Models and Providers.

Using Your Own Claude Code​

If you already have Claude Code installed, Phoenix Code uses it unless it is older than the bundled copy. The bundled copy is updated with Phoenix Code itself. To use a specific copy, enter its path in AI Settings under Path to the Claude Code executable. Leave the field blank to let Phoenix Code pick.

The Codex CLI is not bundled. Phoenix Code offers to install it the first time you pick it. See Claude Code CLI and Codex CLI.

If Claude Code Is Not Found​

In rare cases the bundled Claude Code cannot run on your machine. The panel then shows Getting started with Claude Code with an Install Claude Code button. Click it: Phoenix Code opens the built-in terminal, runs the official installer from Anthropic, and starts Claude Code so you can log in. The panel continues on its own when the install finishes. If it does not pick it up, restart Phoenix Code.

If you prefer to install the CLI yourself, follow Anthropic's setup guide, then open the AI tab again.

If you entered a path in AI Settings and it no longer works, clear or correct it under Path to the Claude Code executable.

If Your Login Expires​

If your Claude login expires later, the chat shows a Claude Code is signed out or your login has expired notice with a Sign in to Claude button. Click it, finish signing in on the page that opens in your browser, then send your message again.

Expired login notice