Anthropic Bans Consumer OAuth in Third-Party Tools

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🦞Read original on OpenClaw.report

💡Claude devs: OAuth from consumer plans banned in 3rd-party tools—switch to API keys before enforcement.

⚡ 30-Second TL;DR

What changed

Prohibits OAuth tokens from Free/Pro/Max subscriptions in third-party tools

Why it matters

Developers using consumer Claude plans for integrations face disruption and must migrate to API keys, likely raising costs. Protects against token misuse but limits prototyping flexibility. Impacts third-party tool builders relying on OAuth.

What to do next

Audit and replace OAuth tokens with Claude API keys in all third-party integrations today.

Who should care:Developers & AI Engineers

🧠 Deep Insight

Web-grounded analysis with 4 cited sources.

🔑 Key Takeaways

•As of January 2026, Anthropic restricted third-party OAuth access citing Terms of Service violations, with the oh-my-opencode project explicitly cited as a violation case[1]
•Anthropic blocked Claude Code OAuth tokens from working in external tools, preventing third-party orchestration frameworks from operating at scale[2]
•Third-party coding tools using OAuth have resulted in user account bans, with Anthropic's Terms of Service having always prohibited this usage pattern[3]

🛠️ Technical Deep Dive

• OAuth token restrictions apply to Free, Pro, and Max subscription tiers, not enterprise API access • Third-party tools like OpenClaw, oh-my-opencode, and other orchestration frameworks were designed to leverage Claude's capabilities through OAuth delegation • Anthropic's enforcement mechanism includes account bans without prior warning • The restriction targets 'third-party orchestration frameworks at scale' rather than individual API usage • API keys represent the compliant alternative for third-party integration, requiring architectural changes to affected tools

🔮 Future ImplicationsAI analysis grounded in cited sources

Anthropic's enforcement signals a strategic shift toward controlling Claude's distribution channels and preventing unauthorized commercial orchestration. This may accelerate migration of third-party tools toward direct API integration models, increase operational costs for developers (API pricing vs. subscription-based access), and establish precedent for other AI providers to restrict OAuth access. The enforcement without warning suggests Anthropic prioritizes rapid compliance over developer transition periods, potentially fragmenting the Claude ecosystem.

⏳ Timeline

2026-01

Anthropic restricts third-party OAuth access citing ToS violations; oh-my-opencode project explicitly cited

2026-02

Enforcement actions reported against OpenClaw and other third-party tools; user account bans documented

📎 Sources (4)

Factual claims are grounded in the sources below. Forward-looking analysis is AI-generated interpretation.

Anthropic has updated Claude Code docs to ban OAuth tokens from Free, Pro, or Max plans in third-party products like OpenClaw. Developers must switch to API keys. Enforcement may occur without warning.

Key Points

1.Prohibits OAuth tokens from Free/Pro/Max subscriptions in third-party tools
2.Explicitly names OpenClaw as affected
3.Requires API keys for compliant usage
4.Enforcement possible without prior notice

Impact Analysis

Technical Details

Update in Claude Code documentation explicitly states the prohibition. Applies to any third-party product, not just OpenClaw. API keys are the mandated alternative for access.

#oauth-ban #api-keys #consumer-plansclaude

🦞Read original article on OpenClaw.report

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