Configure Claude Desktop with a MandAPI gateway

Use Claude Desktop's third-party inference panel with an Anthropic-compatible MandAPI connection.

Help me configure Claude Desktop for MandAPI using its supported third-party inference mode. Check the installed build and whether organization policy permits local configuration. Do not assume a standard Claude account exposes this panel. If available, use Gateway with base https://api.mandapi.com, Bearer authentication and Static API key. Keep the key private. Use the exact account-visible Claude MODEL_ID with Anthropic Messages support; if model discovery omits it, follow the current official inferenceModels format without inventing aliases or context capabilities. Preserve the previous setup, apply locally, restart fully, and guide one short text check plus the matching MandAPI usage check. Report feature limitations and restoration steps. If the panel is unavailable or managed, explain the specific condition and offer the CLI or MandAPI Connect route.

Check the desktop mode first

This recipe is for a current Claude Desktop build that exposes third-party inference configuration. Update from Anthropic's official installer and check the app's available settings. Organization-managed devices can make this configuration read-only. If your build does not offer the panel, use the Claude Code CLI or MandAPI Connect.

Gateway mode is a separate deployment mode. MandAPI credits pay for its model requests; this guide does not promise that adding a key unlocks every feature in a standard Claude account or subscription.

Enter the connection in the app

On a device without an administrator-supplied configuration, open Help → Troubleshooting → Enable Developer Mode. After the app restarts, open Developer → Configure Third-Party Inference. Choose Gateway and enter:

Field	Value
Gateway base URL	`https://api.mandapi.com`
Gateway auth scheme	`Bearer`
Credential kind	`Static API key`
Gateway API key	Your private MandAPI key

The base has no /v1 suffix: Desktop uses the Anthropic Messages route. The standalone CLI's ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL environment variable does not configure this panel. Leave OIDC sign-in fields empty for a static key.

Select a real Claude model

Apply the configuration locally, fully quit the app, then reopen it using its gateway entry. Select an exact Claude model available to your MandAPI account with Anthropic Messages support. Here, MODEL_ID means that actual ID, not a new alias.

Discovery reads /v1/models and normally shows recognizable Claude IDs. If the model is missing, use the panel's model configuration according to the official gateway guide; an explicit inferenceModels entry must use the full real model ID. Do not add a large-context capability merely to make a picker option appear.

Verify and fix one layer at a time

Start with a short text question, then check the matching usage entry in MandAPI. A text answer checks inference; test a small file task separately before relying on Code or Cowork tools.

If authentication fails, recheck the key and Bearer mode. If the panel is locked, ask the device administrator to change its managed configuration. If the connection works but the model is absent, inspect discovery or the explicit model list. Keep the old local configuration so you can restore it.