Alibaba Cloud Model Studio:Claude Code

Supported models

The Anthropic-compatible service provided by Model Studio supports the following Qwen models:

For model specifications and billing rules, see the Model list.

Model selection recommendations

Use the following models for different task types:

• Complex reasoning tasks (such as designing application architecture and implementing complex algorithms): Use Qwen-Max series models or qwen3-coder-plus.

• Daily coding tasks (such as writing functions and generating unit tests): Use qwen3-coder-plus.

• Simple jobs (such as code formatting and explaining snippets): Use Qwen-Flash series models or qwen3-coder-flash.

1. Activate Model Studio

1. Create an account: If you do not have an Alibaba Cloud account, create one first.

   If you encounter problems, see Create an Alibaba Cloud account.

2. Activate Model Studio: Use your Alibaba Cloud account to go to the Model Studio platform. After you read and agree to the terms, Model Studio is activated automatically. If the Terms of Service do not appear, the service has already been activated.

   If a message indicates that you have not completed identity verification, complete identity verification first.

After you activate Model Studio for the first time, you get a model inference free quota valid for 90 days. For more information, see the Free quota for new users.

2. Install Claude Code

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

3. Configure the base URL, API key, and model

To connect to Model Studio through the Anthropic-compatible interface, configure the following environment variables.

1. ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL: Set this to https://dashscope-intl.aliyuncs.com/apps/anthropic.

2. ANTHROPIC_API_KEY or ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN: Set this to your Model Studio API key.

   You need to set only one of ANTHROPIC_API_KEY or ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN. This topic uses ANTHROPIC_API_KEY as an example.

3. ANTHROPIC_MODEL: Set this to a supported model from the Model list.

4. Run claude code

Go to the project directory and run the claude command in the terminal.

claude

The first time you use claude code, you might have to log on to an Anthropic account. To skip it:

1. Locate the .claude.json file in your user home directory:

   • macOS / Linux: ~/.claude.json

   • Windows: C:\Users\%USERNAME%\.claude.json

2. Set hasCompletedOnboarding to true.

   {
     "hasCompletedOnboarding": true
   }

3. Save the file, and then run claude again in a new terminal.

(Optional) More ways to configure models

Claude Code supports the following model configuration methods, listed in descending order of priority. A higher-priority configuration overwrites a lower-priority one.

1. During a conversation: Run /model <model_name> to switch models. This method is suitable for temporarily switching models.

   /model qwen3-coder-plus

2. When starting claude code: Run claude --model <model_name> to specify a model. This method is suitable for a single session.

   claude --model qwen3-coder-plus

3. Set environment variables: Use different models based on task complexity. Claude Code automatically selects the appropriate model based on the task type. This method is suitable for global applications.

   export ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL="qwen3-coder-plus"
   export ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL="qwen3-coder-plus"
   export ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL="qwen3-coder-flash"

   Where:

   • ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL: Used for high-difficulty tasks such as complex reasoning and architecture design.

   • ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL: Used for daily tasks such as code writing and feature implementation.

   • ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL: Used for simple jobs such as syntax checking and file searching.

4. Set permanently in the settings.json configuration file: Create a settings.json file in the project root directory or user home directory and add the model configuration information. This method allows for permanent configuration at the project or user level.

   {
     "env": {
       "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL": "qwen3-coder-plus",
       "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL": "qwen3-coder-plus",
       "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL": "qwen3-coder-flash"
     }
   }

Question 1: After starting claude code, the interface displays "Unable to connect to Anthropic services. Failed to connect to api.anthropic.com: ERR_BAD_REQUEST". What should I do?

Configure the environment variables again, and then run the claude command in the terminal.

Question 2: How to save tokens?

1. Reduce irrelevant files: To avoid token consumption from scanning irrelevant files, start Claude Code in a specific project directory and keep only the necessary project files.

2. Summarize conversations: Claude Code uses the conversation history as context. When the conversation length reaches 95% of the context window, Claude Code automatically summarizes the content. You can also run /compact manually.

3. Use precise instructions: Vague requests can trigger unnecessary file scans and consume more tokens. Ask clear and specific questions or provide precise instructions when using Claude Code.

4. Break down tasks: When handling complex tasks, break them down into several simple jobs.

5. Reset context: Before starting a new task, use /clear to reset the context and prevent irrelevant information from consuming tokens.

For more tips on saving tokens, see the official Claude Code documentation.