Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop can use Hostlinku through Configure Third-Party Inference in app versions that expose this menu. Enter your base URL and API key in the app, then select a model available for your key’s Service Mode. This guide covers the Desktop app. For the terminal or VS Code/JetBrains extensions, see Claude Code. This inference connection does not require an additional local proxy or changes to MCP configuration.

Before you start

Install Claude Desktop from the official download page.
Create a Hostlinku API key in Console → API Keys with a Service Mode that provides your chosen Claude model.
Ensure your USD balance and key spending limit are sufficient. Usage is billed by Hostlinku; see Billing & Balance.

Feature boundaries

Inference is separate from MCP. This setting routes model requests to Hostlinku; connector or MCP settings do not automatically change the inference provider.
Gateway-managed Claude Code and Server-side Auto mode checks are not required for the static-key setup shown here. This integration has not tested those features.
Tool calling, vision, reasoning, context, and caching depend on the model and protocol path. See Anthropic Messages and the model catalog.
Successful discovery does not guarantee every listed model supports all Desktop agent features. Start with a Claude model and a simple task.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Check
Developer or third-party inference menu is missing	Confirm that your Desktop version provides the feature, enable Developer Mode, and fully restart the app.
`401`	Check the key, revocation/expiration status, and auth scheme. Do not prepend `Bearer` in the key field.
Empty discovery or model not found	Run Test model discovery; check `GET /v1/models` with the same key and a slug available in its Service Mode.
`400 MODEL_NOT_IN_SERVICE_MODE`	Use a key whose Service Mode provides that model.
`402`	Check the available USD balance and key spending limit.
`429`	Follow `Retry-After` when provided, reduce concurrency, and see Usage & Limits.
Test connection succeeds but a Code session fails	Check the selected model and request details in Console; a short connection test does not verify full tool/agent support.

Do not share your API key or configuration exports containing credentials. When requesting help, include the Desktop version, model, Service Mode, and request ID without the key.

Start

Models & Features

API

Account

Help

Before you start

Feature boundaries

Troubleshooting