Lakecode uses Google OAuth as the primary sign-in method. There are two flows:
lakecode login opens a browser tab. Best for local development machines.lakecode login --device prints a URL + code. Best for headless servers, SSH sessions, or CI environments.Both flows result in a license key being saved to your local machine. You stay signed in until the key expires or you explicitly sign out.
After OAuth, Lakecode issues a license key in the format lk_<base64url>. The key is an Ed25519-signed payload containing your email, plan type, and expiry date. It is stored locally and sent with every request to the proxy, which verifies the signature server-side.
You can view your current key on the dashboard or by running:
lakecode config licenseIf you prefer to use your own Anthropic API key and bypass the Lakecode proxy entirely, set this environment variable:
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...When a BYOK key is set, Lakecode routes requests directly to Anthropic. No credits are consumed, no proxy is involved, and billing is handled entirely by your Anthropic account.