# Fixed: Authentication Requirement
## Issue
The code was incorrectly requiring `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` environment variable, but we're using **Claude CLI**, which handles its own authentication.
## What Was Fixed
### 1. `create-isolated-claude.js`
- ✅ Removed requirement for `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`
- ✅ Made `authToken` optional (Claude CLI handles auth)
- ✅ Only passes `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` to env if explicitly provided
### 2. `utils/conversation-manager.js`
- ✅ Removed requirement for `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`
- ✅ Made `authToken` optional
### 3. `test-all-prerequisites.js`
- ✅ Changed to check for Claude CLI installation instead
- ✅ Removed API key requirement
### 4. `EXECUTION-PLAN.md`
- ✅ Updated to check for Claude CLI instead of API key
## What Still Needs Fixing
These test files still check for `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` and need to be updated:
- `test-backend-e2e.js`
- `test-backend-playbooks.js`
- `test-browser-connection.js`
- `test-browser-prerequisites.js`
- `test-conversation-management.js`
- `test-isolated-primitives.js`
- `test-mcp-tool-configuration.js`
**Action:** These should check for Claude CLI installation instead, or remove the check entirely since Claude CLI handles auth.
## How Claude CLI Authentication Works
Claude CLI:
- Uses its own configuration (`~/.claude/` or project `.claude/`)
- Handles authentication internally
- May use API key from its own config, not environment variable
- No need for us to pass `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`
## Updated Requirements
**Before:**
```bash
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your-token"
npm run test:all-prerequisites
```
**After:**
```bash
# Just verify Claude CLI is installed
which claude
npm run test:all-prerequisites
```
## Next Steps
1. Update remaining test files to remove `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` checks
2. Update documentation to reflect Claude CLI authentication
3. Test that everything works without API key requirement
