This course provides comprehensive coverage of the Claude API, from basic usage through advanced agent architectures. You'll learn to integrate Claude into applications, implement tool calling, build RAG pipelines, and design both deterministic workflows and flexible agent systems.
Building with the Claude API
The full spectrum of working with Anthropic models using the Claude API: prompting, tool use, RAG, agents, MCP, and production patterns.
67 lessons9 hr8 quizzesCompletion badge
What you’ll learnBy the end of this course, you’ll be able to
- Set up and authenticate with the Anthropic API, including API key management and request configuration
- Implement single and multi-turn conversations with proper message formatting and context handling
- Configure system prompts and control model behavior using temperature, response streaming, and structured output formats
- Design and execute prompt evaluation workflows with test dataset generation and automated grading systems
- Apply prompt engineering techniques including XML tag structuring, example-based learning, and clear directive formulation
- Integrate Claude's tool use capabilities to extend functionality with custom tools, batch operations, and web search
- Build retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems with text chunking, embeddings, BM25 search, and contextual retrieval
- Utilize Claude's extended features including extended thinking mode, image analysis, PDF processing, and citation generation
- Implement prompt caching strategies to optimize API usage and reduce latency
- Develop Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers and clients for standardized tool and resource integration
- Deploy Anthropic Apps including Claude Code for automated development tasks and Computer Use for UI automation
- Architect agent-based systems with parallelization, chaining, and routing workflows
Who it’s for
Software engineers who need to integrate Claude into production applications. Whether you're building chatbots, automation tools, or AI-powered features, this course covers the implementation patterns you'll need.
Before you start
- Proficiency in Python programming
- Basic knowledge of handling JSON data
- Access to an Anthropic API key
Inside the course
Accessing Claude with the API
9 lessonsStart here for the fundamentals. Covers API authentication, basic requests, conversation management, system prompts, and structured output generation.
Prompt engineering techniques
6 lessonsLearn to write prompts that actually work. Focuses on prompting strategies, evaluation frameworks, and systematic testing approaches.
Tool use with Claude
13 lessonsExtend Claude with custom tools and functions. Build apps with function calling, multi-turn tool interactions, batch tool calling, and leverage built-in utilities.
RAG and Agentic Search
7 lessonsImplementation guide for production RAG systems. Covers text chunking, embeddings, hybrid search with BM25, multi-index architectures, reranking, and contextual retrieval.
Model Context Protocol
11 lessonsThe protocol for building modular AI applications. Define custom tools and resources, implement MCP servers and clients, handle the full integration lifecycle.
Anthropic apps - Claude Code and computer use
4 lessonsTwo powerful Anthropic tools in action. Claude Code accelerates development workflows, Computer Use automates UI interactions. Includes MCP integration patterns.
Agents and workflows
8 lessonsArchitecture patterns for autonomous AI systems. Understand parallel execution, operation chaining, conditional routing, and effective debugging strategies.