Why does Termerly need your Anthropic API Key?
Termerly generates policy drafts (privacy, terms, cookies, etc.) using artificial intelligence models. For those drafts to be written with Claude (Anthropic's models), Termerly needs to connect to your Anthropic account through an API Key.
An API Key is like a personal key that lets Termerly talk to Claude on your behalf. You generate it once on the Anthropic Console, paste it into Termerly's settings, and from that moment on you can generate your drafts with Claude.
Important clarification: having a Claude Pro or Claude Max subscription does not give you API access and won't help you with Termerly. They are different products with separate billing. To use Claude in Termerly you need to load credits on your Anthropic account separately, even if you already pay for Claude Pro.
What you'll need on hand
An email address (or a Google account).
Your mobile phone to receive an SMS verification code.
A credit or debit card.
A modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari).
Estimated time: 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 1: Create your Anthropic account
Open your browser and go to https://console.anthropic.com. Heads up: this is not claude.ai — it's a different site (the developer Console).
Click "Sign up". The easiest option, if you already have a Google account, is the one-click quick sign-in.
After signing up, Anthropic will send you an email with a verification link. Click it, then confirm your phone number by typing the code you'll receive by SMS.
Nice touch: some new accounts get a small amount of free credits to start testing without adding a card. If you're lucky, you can generate the key directly and connect Termerly right away. For continued use you'll need to load credits regardless.
Step 2: Load credits on Anthropic (this costs money)
The Anthropic API works like a prepaid card. You buy credits, you spend them as Termerly generates drafts, and when they run out they run out. There are no surprises on the bill, but if you go down to zero, Termerly will tell you it can't generate more drafts until you top up.
To load credits:
In the left menu of console.anthropic.com, open "Billing".
Click "Add payment method" and enter your card details.
Buy an initial credit amount. The minimum is usually 5 USD, more than enough to generate many drafts.
Optional but useful: turn on "auto-reload" so Anthropic tops up your balance automatically when it drops below a certain threshold. That way Termerly never runs out of service.
About usage limits. Anthropic assigns limits in tiers: you start at Tier 1 with a more restricted consumption, and as you accumulate uneventful usage, it goes up automatically. For Termerly, Tier 1 is more than enough to start, so don't worry if you see it at the beginning.
Step 3: Generate your API Key
In the left menu of the Console, open "API Keys" (usually under a key icon), or go directly to https://console.anthropic.com/settings/keys.
Click the "Create Key" button. A small window will pop up with several options:
Name: type "Termerly". That way, if you create more keys later for other tools, you'll know which one is for Termerly.
Workspace: if it's your first time, leave it on the default workspace. Workspaces are useful when working in teams, but you can ignore them for now.
Environment / Permissions: leave the default options. You don't need to touch anything else.
Click "Add" or "Create Key". You'll see a long key starting with sk-ant-api03- followed by a bunch of letters and numbers. That's your API Key.
Copy it RIGHT NOW! Anthropic only shows it to you once. If you close the window without copying it, you won't be able to recover it and will have to create another. Click the "Copy" button next to the key.
Step 4: Paste it into Termerly
Go back to Termerly and into your dashboard:
Sign in to your Termerly account.
In the side menu, go to Settings → Account.
Scroll down to the Anthropic (Claude) section.
Paste the key you just copied into the "Paste your API key" field.
Click the "Save" button.
If the key is valid, you'll see the field's status change from "Not connected" (red) to "Connected" (blue). From that moment on, Termerly can generate drafts with Claude models on your behalf.
Your key is safe. Termerly stores it encrypted with AES-256-GCM and never shows it back to you in plain text. If you ever need to see it again, you'll have to go back to Anthropic and generate a new one.
Step 5: Verify the connection works
Termerly has a button labeled "Test connection" right below the API Key field. Clicking it is the fastest way to know if everything is right:
If the connection works, you'll see a green check and a "Last used" date will appear under the field.
If the connection fails, Termerly will tell you what happened (zero balance, invalid key, etc.).
From here you can start generating policy drafts in Termerly with Claude models. Each draft will consume a tiny bit of your Anthropic credits; you can check how much you're spending in the "Usage" section at console.anthropic.com.
Step 6: Take care of your API Key
Your API Key is exactly like a digital credit card: anyone who has it can spend your Anthropic credits on your behalf. So:
Don't paste it in public chats or share it via email, social media, forums, or videos.
Don't post it where others can see it (screenshots on social media, for example).
Create a different key for each tool. The one you generated for Termerly should only be used in Termerly.
If you suspect it has leaked, run to console.anthropic.com/settings/keys and click "Revoke" on that key. Then generate a new one and paste it back in Termerly using the "Update" button.
Check the "Usage" section on Anthropic every now and then to spot unusual consumption.
If you think of your API Key as your bank card PIN, you'll be on the right track. Same care, same discretion.
Things that can go wrong and how to fix them
What you see in Termerly | What it means | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
"Not connected" after clicking Save | The key is wrongly pasted or invalid | Generate the key again on the Anthropic Console and paste it back, no leading or trailing spaces. |
"Credit balance is too low" when testing the connection | You ran out of credits on Anthropic | Go to console.anthropic.com → Billing and buy more credits (or turn on auto-reload). |
"Rate limit exceeded" when generating a draft | Too many requests in a row for your current tier | Wait a minute and try again. Your limit goes up automatically with usage. |
The draft doesn't generate and you don't see a clear error | Usually the key has expired or your credits are zero | Click "Test connection" in Termerly. If it fails, generate a new key on Anthropic. |
"Invalid API key" or "401 Unauthorized" | You pasted the key wrong or already revoked it | Generate a new one on the Anthropic Console and click "Update" in Termerly. |
Wrapping up
Connecting Termerly to Anthropic isn't as complicated as it sounds: you sign up on the Anthropic Console, load credits, generate the key, paste it into Termerly's settings, and you're done. From there, you can ask Termerly to generate policy drafts with Claude models.
Only two things truly deserve your attention: keep an eye on your credit balance (with auto-reload or by watching "Usage") and treat the key like a password (don't share it with anyone, not even with co-workers). If you ever get lost, come back to this guide and re-read the relevant step.
