Build with Claude

Using the Messages API

Practical patterns and examples for using the Messages API effectively

This guide covers common patterns for working with the Messages API, including basic requests, multi-turn conversations, prefill techniques, and vision capabilities. For complete API specifications, see the Messages API reference.

Basic request and response

#!/bin/sh
curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages \
     --header "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
     --header "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
     --header "content-type: application/json" \
     --data \
'{
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
    "max_tokens": 1024,
    "messages": [
        {"role": "user", "content": "Hello, Claude"}
    ]
}'

JSON

{
  "id": "msg_01XFDUDYJgAACzvnptvVoYEL",
  "type": "message",
  "role": "assistant",
  "content": [
    {
      "type": "text",
      "text": "Hello!"
    }
  ],
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
  "stop_reason": "end_turn",
  "stop_sequence": null,
  "usage": {
    "input_tokens": 12,
    "output_tokens": 6
  }
}

Multiple conversational turns

The Messages API is stateless, which means that you always send the full conversational history to the API. You can use this pattern to build up a conversation over time. Earlier conversational turns don't necessarily need to actually originate from Claude — you can use synthetic assistant messages.

#!/bin/sh
curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages \
     --header "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
     --header "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
     --header "content-type: application/json" \
     --data \
'{
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
    "max_tokens": 1024,
    "messages": [
        {"role": "user", "content": "Hello, Claude"},
        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Hello!"},
        {"role": "user", "content": "Can you describe LLMs to me?"}

    ]
}'

JSON

{
    "id": "msg_018gCsTGsXkYJVqYPxTgDHBU",
    "type": "message",
    "role": "assistant",
    "content": [
        {
            "type": "text",
            "text": "Sure, I'd be happy to provide..."
        }
    ],
    "stop_reason": "end_turn",
    "stop_sequence": null,
    "usage": {
      "input_tokens": 30,
      "output_tokens": 309
    }
}

Putting words in Claude's mouth

You can pre-fill part of Claude's response in the last position of the input messages list. This can be used to shape Claude's response. The example below uses "max_tokens": 1 to get a single multiple choice answer from Claude.

#!/bin/sh
curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages \
     --header "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
     --header "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
     --header "content-type: application/json" \
     --data \
'{
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
    "max_tokens": 1,
    "messages": [
        {"role": "user", "content": "What is latin for Ant? (A) Apoidea, (B) Rhopalocera, (C) Formicidae"},
        {"role": "assistant", "content": "The answer is ("}
    ]
}'

JSON

{
  "id": "msg_01Q8Faay6S7QPTvEUUQARt7h",
  "type": "message",
  "role": "assistant",
  "content": [
    {
      "type": "text",
      "text": "C"
    }
  ],
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
  "stop_reason": "max_tokens",
  "stop_sequence": null,
  "usage": {
    "input_tokens": 42,
    "output_tokens": 1
  }
}

For more information on prefill techniques, see our prefill guide.

Vision

Claude can read both text and images in requests. We support both base64 and url source types for images, and the image/jpeg, image/png, image/gif, and image/webp media types. See our vision guide for more details.

#!/bin/sh

# Option 1: Base64-encoded image
IMAGE_URL="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Camponotus_flavomarginatus_ant.jpg"
IMAGE_MEDIA_TYPE="image/jpeg"
IMAGE_BASE64=$(curl "$IMAGE_URL" | base64)

curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages \
     --header "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
     --header "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
     --header "content-type: application/json" \
     --data \
'{
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
    "max_tokens": 1024,
    "messages": [
        {"role": "user", "content": [
            {"type": "image", "source": {
                "type": "base64",
                "media_type": "'$IMAGE_MEDIA_TYPE'",
                "data": "'$IMAGE_BASE64'"
            }},
            {"type": "text", "text": "What is in the above image?"}
        ]}
    ]
}'

# Option 2: URL-referenced image
curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages \
     --header "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
     --header "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
     --header "content-type: application/json" \
     --data \
'{
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
    "max_tokens": 1024,
    "messages": [
        {"role": "user", "content": [
            {"type": "image", "source": {
                "type": "url",
                "url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Camponotus_flavomarginatus_ant.jpg"
            }},
            {"type": "text", "text": "What is in the above image?"}
        ]}
    ]
}'

JSON

{
  "id": "msg_01EcyWo6m4hyW8KHs2y2pei5",
  "type": "message",
  "role": "assistant",
  "content": [
    {
      "type": "text",
      "text": "This image shows an ant, specifically a close-up view of an ant. The ant is shown in detail, with its distinct head, antennae, and legs clearly visible. The image is focused on capturing the intricate details and features of the ant, likely taken with a macro lens to get an extreme close-up perspective."
    }
  ],
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
  "stop_reason": "end_turn",
  "stop_sequence": null,
  "usage": {
    "input_tokens": 1551,
    "output_tokens": 71
  }
}

Tool use and computer use

See our guide for examples of how to use tools with the Messages API. See our computer use guide for examples of how to control desktop computer environments with the Messages API. For guaranteed JSON output, see Structured Outputs.

Build with Claude

Using the Messages API

Practical patterns and examples for using the Messages API effectively

Basic request and response

#!/bin/sh
curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages \
     --header "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
     --header "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
     --header "content-type: application/json" \
     --data \
'{
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
    "max_tokens": 1024,
    "messages": [
        {"role": "user", "content": "Hello, Claude"}
    ]
}'

JSON

{
  "id": "msg_01XFDUDYJgAACzvnptvVoYEL",
  "type": "message",
  "role": "assistant",
  "content": [
    {
      "type": "text",
      "text": "Hello!"
    }
  ],
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
  "stop_reason": "end_turn",
  "stop_sequence": null,
  "usage": {
    "input_tokens": 12,
    "output_tokens": 6
  }
}

Multiple conversational turns

#!/bin/sh
curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages \
     --header "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
     --header "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
     --header "content-type: application/json" \
     --data \
'{
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
    "max_tokens": 1024,
    "messages": [
        {"role": "user", "content": "Hello, Claude"},
        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Hello!"},
        {"role": "user", "content": "Can you describe LLMs to me?"}

    ]
}'

JSON

{
    "id": "msg_018gCsTGsXkYJVqYPxTgDHBU",
    "type": "message",
    "role": "assistant",
    "content": [
        {
            "type": "text",
            "text": "Sure, I'd be happy to provide..."
        }
    ],
    "stop_reason": "end_turn",
    "stop_sequence": null,
    "usage": {
      "input_tokens": 30,
      "output_tokens": 309
    }
}

Putting words in Claude's mouth

#!/bin/sh
curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages \
     --header "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
     --header "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
     --header "content-type: application/json" \
     --data \
'{
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
    "max_tokens": 1,
    "messages": [
        {"role": "user", "content": "What is latin for Ant? (A) Apoidea, (B) Rhopalocera, (C) Formicidae"},
        {"role": "assistant", "content": "The answer is ("}
    ]
}'

JSON

{
  "id": "msg_01Q8Faay6S7QPTvEUUQARt7h",
  "type": "message",
  "role": "assistant",
  "content": [
    {
      "type": "text",
      "text": "C"
    }
  ],
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
  "stop_reason": "max_tokens",
  "stop_sequence": null,
  "usage": {
    "input_tokens": 42,
    "output_tokens": 1
  }
}

For more information on prefill techniques, see our prefill guide.

Vision

#!/bin/sh

# Option 1: Base64-encoded image
IMAGE_URL="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Camponotus_flavomarginatus_ant.jpg"
IMAGE_MEDIA_TYPE="image/jpeg"
IMAGE_BASE64=$(curl "$IMAGE_URL" | base64)

curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages \
     --header "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
     --header "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
     --header "content-type: application/json" \
     --data \
'{
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
    "max_tokens": 1024,
    "messages": [
        {"role": "user", "content": [
            {"type": "image", "source": {
                "type": "base64",
                "media_type": "'$IMAGE_MEDIA_TYPE'",
                "data": "'$IMAGE_BASE64'"
            }},
            {"type": "text", "text": "What is in the above image?"}
        ]}
    ]
}'

# Option 2: URL-referenced image
curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages \
     --header "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
     --header "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
     --header "content-type: application/json" \
     --data \
'{
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
    "max_tokens": 1024,
    "messages": [
        {"role": "user", "content": [
            {"type": "image", "source": {
                "type": "url",
                "url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Camponotus_flavomarginatus_ant.jpg"
            }},
            {"type": "text", "text": "What is in the above image?"}
        ]}
    ]
}'

JSON

{
  "id": "msg_01EcyWo6m4hyW8KHs2y2pei5",
  "type": "message",
  "role": "assistant",
  "content": [
    {
      "type": "text",
      "text": "This image shows an ant, specifically a close-up view of an ant. The ant is shown in detail, with its distinct head, antennae, and legs clearly visible. The image is focused on capturing the intricate details and features of the ant, likely taken with a macro lens to get an extreme close-up perspective."
    }
  ],
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
  "stop_reason": "end_turn",
  "stop_sequence": null,
  "usage": {
    "input_tokens": 1551,
    "output_tokens": 71
  }
}