Claude Code Status: How to Check If Claude Code Is Down (2026)
Updated June 2026 · 9 min read · API Status Check
Quick Answer
Check Claude Code status at status.anthropic.com (official — look for the "Claude Code" row) or apistatuscheck.com/is-claude-down for independent real-time monitoring of the Anthropic API.
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Where to Check Claude Code Status
Claude Code is Anthropic's official CLI for AI-assisted coding. It calls api.anthropic.com behind the scenes, so its status tracks the Anthropic API.
status.anthropic.com
The main Anthropic status page. Shows status for Claude.ai, Anthropic API, Claude Code, Console, and Workbench as separate rows. This is the authoritative source.
status.anthropic.com →APIStatusCheck (Independent)
Independently pings the Anthropic API every minute and reports latency and uptime data. Not controlled by Anthropic — gives unbiased monitoring and 90-day history.
apistatuscheck.com/is-claude-down →What Each Claude Code Status Means
Get alerted the instant Claude Code goes down
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Try Better Stack Free →Claude Code Down vs. Local Issue: How to Tell the Difference
Most Claude Code "outages" reported by users are actually local issues. Here's how to distinguish:
Anthropic API Down (Server-Side)
Signs:
- 529 overloaded errors
- 503 service unavailable
- 500 internal server error
- Status page shows degraded or partial outage
Action: Nothing you can do locally. Wait for Anthropic to resolve. Follow status.anthropic.com for updates.
Rate Limit Hit (Your Account)
Signs:
- 429 Too Many Requests
- "Rate limit exceeded" message
- Happens after heavy usage
- Only affects your sessions
Action: Wait 60 seconds and retry. Consider upgrading your Anthropic plan or adding rate limit handling to your workflow.
API Key Issue
Signs:
- 401 Unauthorized
- "Invalid API key" error
- Immediate rejection on first request
- Status page shows operational
Action: Verify your API key in Anthropic Console. Check ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable. Keys don't expire but can be revoked.
Outdated Claude Code Version
Signs:
- Unexpected errors on specific commands
- Features missing
- Error messages referencing old API paths
- Other users not affected
Action: Run 'npm update -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code' or 'claude update' to get the latest version.
Network / Firewall Issue
Signs:
- Connection timeout
- ECONNREFUSED or ENOTFOUND
- Works on mobile hotspot but not office WiFi
- Other Anthropic services also blocked
Action: Test: curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/models. If blocked, check firewall rules or VPN settings.
Claude Code Error Reference
Claude Code error codes and what they mean:
200OKRequest succeeded. If Claude Code is still broken, the issue is elsewhere.400Bad RequestMalformed request from Claude Code. Usually a bug — update Claude Code ('claude update').401UnauthorizedInvalid or missing API key. Check ANTHROPIC_API_KEY in your environment.403ForbiddenYour account lacks access to this model or feature. Check your Anthropic Console tier.429Rate LimitedYou've hit your requests-per-minute limit. Wait and retry. Not an outage.500Server ErrorAnthropic server error. Retry 2-3 times with backoff. If persistent, check status page.529OverloadedAnthropic's custom overload code. Servers are under high traffic. Retry after 10-30 seconds.503UnavailableAPI is temporarily down. Check status.anthropic.com immediately.Claude Code Diagnostic Commands
Run these commands to diagnose Claude Code issues before assuming it's a service outage:
Check Claude Code version
claude --versionUpdate if you're on an old version — run 'npm update -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code'
Test API key directly
curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/models -H "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01"A 200 response with model data means the API is up and your key works
Check API key is set
echo $ANTHROPIC_API_KEYShould print your API key — empty means it's not set in this shell
Test network connectivity
curl -I https://api.anthropic.comShould return HTTP 200 or 301 — ECONNREFUSED means a network/firewall issue
Monitor the Anthropic API automatically
Better Stack pings api.anthropic.com every 30 seconds, detects 529 and 5xx errors, and alerts your team. Free for small teams.
Try Better Stack Free →What to Do When Claude Code Is Down
For Claude Code Users
- Check status.anthropic.com to confirm it's not local
- Subscribe to status updates for notification when resolved
- Switch to Claude.ai web interface for urgent tasks
- Use Cursor, GitHub Copilot, or Gemini Code Assist as fallbacks
- Follow @AnthropicAI on X for incident updates
For Developers Building with Claude API
- Implement exponential backoff: 1s → 2s → 4s → 8s for 529s
- Add a fallback to OpenAI or Gemini for critical workflows
- Set request timeouts — don't let requests hang indefinitely
- Monitor api.anthropic.com with Better Stack or Datadog
- Queue non-urgent requests for when service recovers
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the official Claude Code status page?
Claude Code status is tracked at status.anthropic.com. Look for the 'Claude Code' row specifically. There's also a Claude-specific status page at status.claude.com. For independent third-party monitoring, apistatuscheck.com/is-claude-down tracks the Anthropic API that Claude Code depends on.
Is Claude Code down different from Claude AI being down?
Yes, but they share the same infrastructure. Claude Code is a CLI that calls api.anthropic.com — if the Anthropic API is down, both claude.ai and Claude Code are affected. Claude Code can also have CLI-specific issues (authentication, outdated version, MCP server problems) that don't affect the web interface. Check status.anthropic.com for both the 'Claude Code' and 'Anthropic API' rows.
Why is Claude Code not working but the status page shows operational?
First, verify it's not a local issue: check your API key, run 'curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/models -H "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01"', and update Claude Code to the latest version. If the API test returns errors but the status page shows green, the status page may be lagging 10-20 minutes behind the incident. Check apistatuscheck.com/is-claude-down for independent confirmation.
What does a 529 error mean in Claude Code?
A 529 error means Anthropic's API is overloaded — too much traffic for current capacity. It's not a rate limit on your account (that's 429). Claude Code automatically retries 529s with exponential backoff. If you see persistent 529s, check status.anthropic.com — a degraded performance incident may be in progress.
How do I know if Claude Code is down or if my API key is the problem?
Run: curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/models -H 'x-api-key: YOUR_KEY' -H 'anthropic-version: 2023-06-01'. A 200 response with model data means the API is up and your key is valid. A 401 means your key is invalid or expired (generate a new one in Anthropic Console). A 529 or 503 means the API is having issues — check status.anthropic.com.
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