---¶
title: Beta headers¶
url: https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/api/beta-headers¶
description: Access experimental features before general availabilitythey become part of the standard API with the `anthropic-beta` header or the SDKs' `betas` parameter.¶
---¶
¶
Beta headers allow you to access experimental features and new model capabilities before they become part of the standard API.¶
¶
<Info>¶
Each [client SDK](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/cli-sdks-libraries/overview) exposes a `beta` namespace for calling the API with beta features enabled.¶
</Info>¶
¶
## How to use beta headers¶
¶
To access beta features, include the `anthropic-beta` header in your API requests:¶
¶
```http¶
POST /v1/messages¶
x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY¶
anthropic-version: 2023-06-01¶
anthropic-beta: BETA_FEATURE_NAME¶
content-type: application/json¶
```¶
¶
Each feature's documentation states the exact beta name to send. The [API overview](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/api/overview) lists the APIs currently in beta.¶
¶
The following examples show the same request with cURL, the `ant` CLI, and the SDKs, using the [context editing](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/context-editing) beta as the example. The SDKs take beta names in the `betas` parameter and send the `anthropic-beta` header for you:¶
¶
<CodeGroup>¶
```bash cURL¶
curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages \¶
-H "x-api-key: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \¶
-H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \¶
-H "anthropic-beta: context-management-2025-06-27" \¶
-H "content-type: application/json" \¶
-d '{¶
"model": "claude-opus-5",¶
"max_tokens": 1024,¶
"messages": [¶
{"role": "user", "content": "Hello, Claude"}¶
]¶
}'¶
```¶
¶
```bash CLI¶
ant beta:messages create \¶
--beta context-management-2025-06-27 \¶
--model claude-opus-5 \¶
--max-tokens 1024 \¶
--message '{role: user, content: "Hello, Claude"}'¶
```¶
¶
```python Python¶
client = Anthropic()¶
¶
response = client.beta.messages.create(¶
model="claude-opus-5",¶
max_tokens=1024,¶
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello, Claude"}],¶
betas=["context-management-2025-06-27"],¶
)¶
¶
print(response.content)¶
```¶
¶
```typescript TypeScript¶
const client = new Anthropic();¶
¶
const msg = await client.beta.messages.create({¶
model: "claude-opus-5",¶
max_tokens: 1024,¶
messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Hello, Claude" }],¶
betas: ["context-management-2025-06-27"]¶
});¶
¶
console.log(msg.content);¶
```¶
¶
```csharp C#¶
var client = new AnthropicClient();¶
¶
var message = await client.Beta.Messages.Create(¶
new MessageCreateParams¶
{¶
Model = "claude-opus-5",¶
MaxTokens = 1024,¶
Messages = [new() { Role = Role.User, Content = "Hello, Claude" }],¶
Betas = ["context-management-2025-06-27"],¶
}¶
);¶
¶
Console.WriteLine(string.Join("\n", message.Content));¶
```¶
¶
```go Go¶
client := anthropic.NewClient()¶
¶
message, err := client.Beta.Messages.New(context.TODO(), anthropic.BetaMessageNewParams{¶
Model: anthropic.ModelClaudeOpus5,¶
MaxTokens: 1024,¶
Messages: []anthropic.BetaMessageParam{¶
anthropic.NewBetaUserMessage(anthropic.NewBetaTextBlock("Hello, Claude")),¶
},¶
Betas: []anthropic.AnthropicBeta{anthropic.AnthropicBetaContextManagement2025_06_27},¶
})¶
if err != nil {¶
panic(err)¶
}¶
¶
fmt.Printf("%+v\n", message.Content)¶
```¶
¶
```java Java¶
AnthropicClient client = AnthropicOkHttpClient.fromEnv();¶
¶
MessageCreateParams params = MessageCreateParams.builder()¶
.model(Model.CLAUDE_OPUS_5)¶
.maxTokens(1024)¶
.addUserMessage("Hello, Claude")¶
.addBeta(AnthropicBeta.CONTEXT_MANAGEMENT_2025_06_27)¶
.build();¶
¶
BetaMessage message = client.beta().messages().create(params);¶
System.out.println(message.content());¶
```¶
¶
```php PHP¶
$client = new Client();¶
¶
$message = $client->beta->messages->create(¶
maxTokens: 1024,¶
messages: [['role' => 'user', 'content' => 'Hello, Claude']],¶
model: 'claude-opus-5',¶
betas: ['context-management-2025-06-27'],¶
);¶
¶
echo $message;¶
```¶
¶
```ruby Ruby¶
client = Anthropic::Client.new¶
¶
message = client.beta.messages.create(¶
model: "claude-opus-5",¶
max_tokens: 1024,¶
messages: [{role: "user", content: "Hello, Claude"}],¶
betas: ["context-management-2025-06-27"]¶
)¶
¶
puts(message.content)¶
```¶
</CodeGroup>¶
¶
<Warning>¶
Beta features are experimental and may:¶
¶
* Have breaking changes with notice¶
* Be deprecated or removed¶
* Have different rate limits or pricing¶
* Not be available in all regions¶
</Warning>¶
¶
### Multiple beta features¶
¶
To use multiple beta features in a single request, include all feature names in the header separated by commas:¶
¶
```http¶
anthropic-beta: feature1,feature2,feature3¶
```¶
¶
When using an SDK, list each feature in the `betas` parameter (for example, `betas=["feature1", "feature2"]`). With the CLI, pass a single `--beta` flag with the feature names separated by commas (for example, `--beta feature1,feature2`). Avoid repeating the flag: currently only the first flag's value takes effect.¶
¶
### Endpoint-specific headers¶
¶
Some beta APIs are scoped to specific endpoints and require a feature-specific beta header on every request:¶
¶
| Endpoints | Beta header |¶
| ------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------- |¶
| `/v1/agents`, `/v1/sessions`, `/v1/environments` | `managed-agents-2026-04-01` |¶
| `/v1/tunnels` | `mcp-tunnels-2026-06-22` |¶
| `/v1/memory_stores` and sub-resources | `agent-memory-2026-07-22` |¶
¶
The SDKs' `beta` namespaces add these headers automatically. Add them yourself only when making raw HTTP requests. See the [Managed Agents overview](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/managed-agents/overview), [Using agent memory](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/managed-agents/memory), and the [MCP tunnels reference](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agents-and-tools/mcp-tunnels/reference#tunnels-api) for details.¶
¶
Endpoint-specific headers that apply to the same endpoint aren't always combinable. On memory store endpoints, `agent-memory-2026-07-22` replaces `managed-agents-2026-04-01`: sending both on the same request returns a `400` error. The client SDKs send the correct header for each endpoint automatically.¶
¶
### Version naming conventions¶
¶
Beta feature names typically follow the pattern `feature-name-YYYY-MM-DD`, where the date indicates when the beta was released. Always use the exact beta feature name as documented.¶
¶
## Error handling¶
¶
If you use an invalid beta name, or a beta your organization doesn't have access to, you'll receive a `400` error response:¶
¶
```json Output¶
{¶
"type": "error",¶
"error": {¶
"type": "invalid_request_error",¶
"message": "Unexpected value(s) `invalid-beta-name` for the `anthropic-beta` header. Please consult our documentation at platform.claude.com/docs or try again without the header."¶
},¶
"request_id": "req_011CcnGfC9fELffo2EALu4Wd"¶
}¶
```¶
¶
## Getting help¶
¶
For updates to beta features, see the [release notes](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/release-notes/overview). For help with production issues, contact [support](https://support.claude.com/).¶
¶
## Next steps¶
¶
<CardGroup cols={2}>¶
<Card title="Errors" icon="info" href="https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/api/errors">¶
Understand the HTTP status codes, error response shape, and request IDs the Claude API returns, and handle errors with the SDKs' typed exceptions.¶
</Card>¶
¶
<Card title="API overview" icon="compass" href="https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/api/overview">¶
Explore the Claude API's features, including the APIs currently in beta.¶
</Card>¶
</CardGroup>¶