Building with the Claude API

Build production-ready applications with the Claude API

Go from your first API call to building tool systems, RAG pipelines, MCP servers, and agentic workflows — all in working Python code.

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What You'll Learn

Who this is for

This course is for software engineers who want to integrate Claude into production applications. You should be comfortable writing Python and working with APIs. No prior experience with LLMs or Claude is required.

Course Structure

1

Introduction

Free

Course orientation and expectations.

1 lessons

2

Anthropic overview

Premium

The Claude model family and how to choose the right model.

1 lessons

3

Accessing Claude with the API

Premium

API fundamentals: requests, multi-turn conversations, system prompts, temperature, streaming, and structured output.

13 lessons

4

Prompt evaluation

Premium

Build automated evaluation pipelines with model-based and code-based graders.

8 lessons

5

Prompt engineering techniques

Premium

Four systematic techniques for improving prompt quality, measured with eval scores.

7 lessons

6

Tool use with Claude

Premium

Give Claude access to real-time data through custom tools, from schema design to multi-turn tool loops.

13 lessons

7

RAG and Agentic Search

Premium

Build a complete RAG pipeline with semantic search, BM25 lexical search, and reciprocal rank fusion.

7 lessons

8

Features of Claude

Premium

Extended thinking, image/PDF support, citations, prompt caching, and code execution.

9 lessons

9

Model Context Protocol

Premium

Build MCP servers and clients using FastMCP: tools, resources, and prompts.

12 lessons

10

Claude Code and Computer Use

Premium

Effective development workflows with Claude Code and extending it with MCP servers.

4 lessons

11

Agents and workflows

Premium

Four workflow patterns and when to choose workflows vs agents for production reliability.

8 lessons

12

Final assessment

Premium

Comprehensive assessment covering all course modules.

1 lessons

13

Wrapping up!

Premium

Skills summary, next steps, and suggested projects.

1 lessons

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need prior experience with AI or LLMs?+

No. The course starts from your first API call and builds up systematically. You should be comfortable with Python and REST APIs, but no AI/ML background is required.

What will I build during the course?+

You'll build a multi-turn chat system, a prompt evaluation pipeline, a complete tool use system (reminder app), a hybrid RAG pipeline, an MCP server and client, and learn to design agentic workflows.

How long does the course take to complete?+

The course contains 56 lessons across 13 modules. Most learners complete it in 6-8 hours of focused study, but you can work through it at your own pace.

Is there a free preview?+

Yes. The Introduction module is free so you can get a feel for the course structure and teaching style before purchasing.

Do I need an Anthropic API key?+

Yes. You'll need an Anthropic API key for the hands-on exercises. The course walks you through obtaining one. Some modules also use VoyageAI for embeddings (free tier available).