The claude-sdk runner uses Anthropic’s @anthropic-ai/claude-code Node.js SDK directly within the agent process — no subprocess, no CLI binary, no shell invocation. The model runs in-process, which means lower latency, better error handling, and access to the full SDK feature set including tool use and streaming.
Requirements
- An Anthropic API key (
sk-ant-...). Get one at console.anthropic.com.
- No additional binary to install. The SDK runs in-process within the RemoteAgent.CHAT binary.
Setup
During remoteagent init, choose claude-sdk from the interactive list. When prompted for your API key, paste your Anthropic key:
remoteagent init
# ? Which runner? claude-sdk
# ? Anthropic API key: sk-ant-...
~/.remoteagent/agents/{agentId}.json on your local machine. It is never transmitted to RemoteAgent.CHAT servers. Each project can use a different key — useful if you have multiple projects billed to separate Anthropic accounts.
To use this runner from the command line without the interactive wizard:
remoteagent init --runner claude-sdk
How it works
When your agent receives a command, the claude-sdk runner calls the @anthropic-ai/claude-code SDK with the prompt and the current working directory. The SDK handles:
- Model selection (latest Claude model configured in the SDK)
- Tool use (file read/write, bash execution, etc.)
- Streaming output chunks back to the agent
Each chunk is forwarded to Telegram as it arrives, so you see the response progressively rather than waiting for the full completion.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|
| Best output quality — full SDK capability | Requires a paid Anthropic API key |
| Lowest latency — no subprocess overhead | API usage is billed per token |
| Best error handling and retry logic | — |
| Access to all Claude tools (bash, file I/O) | — |
| No extra installation step | — |
API key security
Your Anthropic API key is stored locally in ~/.remoteagent/agents/{agentId}.json and
is never sent to RemoteAgent.CHAT servers or included in any network request
made by the relay. The SDK calls Anthropic’s API directly from your machine.
~/.remoteagent/ has appropriate permissions:
chmod 700 ~/.remoteagent
chmod 600 ~/.remoteagent/agents/*.json
Costs
API usage is billed by Anthropic based on input and output tokens. RemoteAgent.CHAT does not add any markup or take a cut of API costs. Your Anthropic account is billed directly for all model usage.
Refer to Anthropic’s pricing page for current token rates. 
