How the Claude API works — CCA-F Exam Prep

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L1.17|How the Claude API works
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Real story
A terminal window on a dark screen. A single curl command is typed out, with the API key, model name, and a message visible. Below: Claude's response in JSON, clean and complete. Elapsed time: 2 seconds. Minimalist, focused.

You open a terminal.

You send one curl command with your API key, a model name, and a message. 2 seconds later, Claude responds.

That's it. The entire Claude API in one request. Everything else is just options.

If you can send an HTTP request, you can use Claude.