# Start a coding session in MandAPI Connect

Use the Windows desktop app to open Claude Code or Codex CLI with your MandAPI account.

## Choose the desktop route

MandAPI Connect brings Claude Code and Codex CLI into one Windows application with an integrated terminal. The app is free to download; model requests consume your account's API credits. It is designed for Windows 10 and 11 on x64. Some application labels are currently in Portuguese even when you read the website in English.

Open the [official Connect page](/en/connect) and use its current download link. Check the download information and any published hash there. Keep the installer and updates tied to the official source. This recipe does not require a particular release number.

## Sign in and open your project

Sign in with your MandAPI account so Connect can create and synchronize its API credentials. Choose the folder you want to work in, then open a Claude Code or Codex CLI tab. Pick a model available to your account and appropriate for that tool. Start with a small repository whose contents you understand.

If you choose manual configuration, enter your own MandAPI key privately. The two tools use different API formats and base addresses:

```text
Claude Code / Anthropic Messages
https://api.mandapi.com

Codex CLI / OpenAI Responses
https://api.mandapi.com/v1
```

Use the address for the selected tool. Connect manages separate bundled-tool configuration; use the app's settings rather than editing those private files by hand.

## Confirm that the session works

Ask the selected tool to list the top-level folders and summarize the README without changing files. A successful first check produces a normal answer in the terminal and a corresponding usage entry in your MandAPI account. Try a small, reviewable code task only after this connection check.

A successful connection to one tool does not prove the other tool or every model works with the same configuration. Switch tabs and verify each tool you intend to use.

## Resolve common issues

If the tool asks for credentials, confirm that your account is signed in or that the manual key is active. If it cannot find a model, select an exact model ID currently offered to your account. If only one tool fails, check its API format and base address before changing general network settings. Restart that tool tab after updating connection settings.

For a standalone command-line installation outside Connect, use the separate Claude Code or Codex CLI recipe. App-managed configuration and a system-installed CLI can have different settings and login state. When asking support for help, include the tool name, model ID and error text with the key removed.

## References

- [https://mandapi.com/en/connect](https://mandapi.com/en/connect)
- [https://mandapi.com/es/connect](https://mandapi.com/es/connect)