Claude Agent SDK Setup

Create and configure Claude Agent SDK applications following official documentation and best practices.

Quick Start

1. Gather Requirements: Language (TypeScript/Python), project name, agent type
2. Initialize Project: Create directory, package manager, configuration
3. Install SDK: Latest version from npm/PyPI
4. Create Starter Files: Basic agent with proper imports and error handling
5. Setup Environment: API keys, .env configuration
6. Verify: Run type checks and validation

Language Options

TypeScript

npm init -y
npm install @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk@latest

Create

index.ts

with:

• Proper imports from SDK
• Basic agent configuration
• Error handling
• Type definitions

Python

pip install claude-agent-sdk

Create

main.py

with:

• SDK imports
• Agent configuration
• Error handling

Project Structure

project-name/
├── src/
│   └── index.ts (or main.py)
├── .env.example
├── .gitignore
├── package.json (or requirements.txt)
└── tsconfig.json (TypeScript only)

Environment Setup

Create

.env.example

:

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Get API key from: https://console.anthropic.com/

Verification

After setup, verify:

• TypeScript: Run

  npx tsc --noEmit

  - fix all type errors
• Python: Verify syntax and imports

Resources

• TypeScript SDK: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/agents-and-tools/claude-code/sdk
• Python SDK: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/agents-and-tools/claude-code/sdk
• Overview: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/agents-and-tools/claude-code/overview

Detailed References

• references/typescript-setup.md - TypeScript configuration
• references/python-setup.md - Python configuration
• references/custom-tools.md - Adding custom tools
• references/mcp-integration.md - MCP server integration

Common Next Steps

After initial setup:

1. Customize system prompt
2. Add custom tools via MCP
3. Configure permissions
4. Create subagents
5. Add sessions for persistence