# How do I connect Claude to Vidiyo?

Canonical URL: https://getvidiyo.app/docs/connect-claude
Last updated: 2026-10-08

> TL;DR: Install Claude Code, run claude auth login in Terminal and sign in with your Claude Pro or Max account. In Vidiyo, choose Claude in the setup dialog or Settings → Assistant and click Check again. Vidiyo uses that sign-in, never sees your password, and usage counts toward your Claude plan's limits.

Vidiyo's assistant can run on the Claude plan you already pay for. It does this through Claude Code, Anthropic's command-line tool, using its existing sign-in. There is nothing extra to buy and no API key to paste.

## What do I need?

You need a Claude Pro or Max plan and Claude Code installed on the same Mac. Claude Code is a free download; your plan covers the usage. Chat is optional: you can edit, caption and export without connecting anything.

## How do I install and sign in to Claude Code?

Install Claude Code from Terminal, then sign in once. Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities) and run:

```sh
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
```

Then sign in:

```sh
claude auth login
```

A browser window opens. Sign in with the account that has your Claude Pro or Max plan. More on Claude Code is at [claude.com/claude-code](https://claude.com/claude-code).

## How do I connect it in Vidiyo?

Choose Claude, then click **Check again**. On first launch, the **Set up Vidiyo** dialog has an **AI access** step: pick "Use my Claude subscription". Later, the same choice is in **Settings → Assistant** under **Chat runs on**.

Vidiyo looks for Claude Code and shows one of these:

| Status | What to do |
|---|---|
| "Claude Code is not installed yet" | Run the install command above |
| "installed but not signed in" | Run `claude auth login` |
| "is not supported yet. Update it, then check again." | Update Claude Code, then click Check again |
| "installed and signed in" | You're done |

## How does Vidiyo use Claude Code?

Vidiyo starts Claude Code with its own built-in tools removed and gives it only Vidiyo's editing tools. Your personal Claude Code settings, hooks, plugins and other MCP servers are ignored for these turns. The assistant can inspect your project, read the transcript, look at frames it picks, and apply edits through the same engine you use by hand.

To make an edit, it sends your request, transcript excerpts, the project's edit list and the still frames it inspects to Anthropic under your plan. Your footage files stay on your Mac. See [Privacy and data](https://getvidiyo.app/docs/privacy-and-data).

## What extras only work with Claude?

Claude gets a few things that ChatGPT through Codex does not: read-only helper reviewers (a critic and a story analyst, among others) and **Shell access** (on by default, switchable in Settings → Assistant), which lets the assistant run checked commands in its own workspace to download and convert files. Risky commands ask you first. Everything else works the same on both.

## What if chat stops working?

Check the message in the chat panel. "Claude Code is not signed in" means you need to run `claude auth login` again. "The Claude usage limit was reached. Editing remains available." means your plan's limit is used up for now. "Choose a Claude model available to your account" means the selected model isn't on your plan; pick another in the composer. More in [Troubleshooting](https://getvidiyo.app/docs/troubleshooting).

## Steps

1. Open Terminal and install Claude Code: curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
2. Run claude auth login and sign in with your Claude Pro or Max account.
3. In Vidiyo, open Settings → Assistant (or the first-run setup) and set Chat runs on to Claude.
4. Click Check again. The status should read installed and signed in.
5. Open a project and type a request in the chat panel.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which Claude plans work with Vidiyo?

Claude Pro or Max, signed in to Claude Code on your Mac. Vidiyo runs the assistant through that sign-in, so there is no separate Vidiyo AI subscription.

### Does Vidiyo see my Claude password?

No. You sign in inside Claude Code with claude auth login, and the sign-in stays with Claude Code. Vidiyo only starts Claude Code and talks to it.

### Does editing in Vidiyo use my Claude limits?

Yes. Every chat request counts toward your Claude plan's usage limits. If you hit the limit, chat pauses with a message, and manual editing keeps working.

### Can I switch between Claude and ChatGPT?

Yes. Settings → Assistant → Chat runs on switches between Claude and ChatGPT at any time. Claude conversations and Codex threads are kept separate per project.

## Related

- [How do I connect ChatGPT to Vidiyo?](https://getvidiyo.app/docs/connect-chatgpt)
- [How does editing by chat work in Vidiyo?](https://getvidiyo.app/docs/editing-by-chat)
- [How do I fix common problems in Vidiyo?](https://getvidiyo.app/docs/troubleshooting)
- [Can Claude edit videos?](https://getvidiyo.app/claude-video-editor)
- [Edit video by chatting](https://getvidiyo.app/features/chat-video-editing)

## Sources

- [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) (accessed 2026-10-08)

Request access to the Vidiyo beta: https://getvidiyo.app/request