Anthropic API Bug: JWT Token Test Errors

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Anthropic API Error: Usage Policy Violation with JWT Tokens

Hey guys, I've run into a frustrating issue while testing some auth-related changes with the Anthropic API. I'm getting a "Usage Policy violation" error, and it's blocking my tests. Let's dive into the details, troubleshoot the problem, and hopefully find a solution. I'm using JWT tokens for my tests, and this error is new and unexpected. I'm hoping to get some clarity on what's causing this and how to fix it so I can get back to coding. This is a real head-scratcher, and any help would be greatly appreciated!

The Problem: Usage Policy Violation

Essentially, the Anthropic API is refusing my requests, claiming they violate its Usage Policy. The error message explicitly states: "Claude Code is unable to respond to this request, which appears to violate our Usage Policy (https://www.anthropic.com/legal/aup)." This is pretty vague, and it's hard to pinpoint the exact cause without more information. The message suggests I can try a few things: double-press the escape key to edit my last message, or start a new session. It also recommends using the /model claude-sonnet-4-20250514 command to switch models if the issue persists. However, these are just temporary workarounds and don't address the root cause, which is critical for my testing. This error is consistently happening, making it impossible to test my auth changes, which rely heavily on JWT tokens. The API is essentially shutting down my testing process.

Detailed Error Context and Impact

This API Error is a significant roadblock for any developer using the Anthropic API and JWT tokens for authentication or authorization tests. I can't proceed with changes related to authentication, as my testing environment is now rendered useless. The error not only halts current testing efforts but also introduces uncertainty about future API interactions. It affects my ability to confidently deploy changes related to user authentication and authorization. It is essential to resolve this, especially when it unexpectedly halts operations.

The error appears when making test requests that include the JWT token. The API, configured to accept and validate the JWT, suddenly throws a Usage Policy violation, which isn't easy to understand without more context. Since I cannot test properly, any auth-related update could potentially break things without a proper way to verify its functionality. The situation becomes more complicated when considering the scope of the projects that rely on JWT for authentication. It prevents me from verifying the proper functioning of crucial features, affecting all users.

The Severity of the Issue

The severity of the API Error is high, as it directly impacts testing workflows. It disrupts the expected development process. The inability to test JWT token requests creates a security risk. The developer won't be able to catch the flaws in the JWT token handling which could potentially expose the applications to security vulnerabilities. Resolving this issue quickly becomes essential to ensure the continued security and reliability of the platform. This disruption not only affects immediate development tasks but could also lead to future problems if not addressed. The sudden appearance of such an error raises questions about the stability and reliability of the Anthropic API. This unexpected behavior is very concerning, which could affect the developer's confidence in the API. Without proper testing, the risk of undetected bugs and vulnerabilities increases, creating potential problems.

Environment Information

To help diagnose the problem, here's the environment information:

  • Platform: win32 (Windows)
  • Terminal: cursor
  • Version: 2.0.33
  • Feedback ID: 7455a0bf-aac6-482a-895d-a5505c8fd800

This information may be useful to developers to reproduce the issue, and gives more info, such as the exact version of the tool or the environment where the bug occurred. The version and the platform details may point out a particular issue with the environment that could be causing the issue with the requests and JWTs. This gives Anthropic's team valuable data to identify the source of the problem, allowing them to pinpoint the source of the issue.

Error Logs

Here's a snippet of the error logs. The logs contain a lot of detail, but the key thing is the Usage Policy violation.

[{"error":"ySQ: Diagnostics file path mismatch: expected C:\\Users\\jchau\\Git\\Sorcrr\\sorcrr-backend-gcp\\PHASE2_DAY3_COMPLETE.md, got file://c:\\users\\jchau\\git\\sorcrr\\sorcrr-backend-gcp\\phase2_day3_complete.md/)\\n    at MO.beforeFileEdited (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1703:22068)\\n    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:105:5)\\n    at async Object.call (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1835:2452)\\n    at async n85 (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1989:27467)\\n    at async ZrA (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1989:24531)\\n    at async l85 (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1989:23383)\\n    at async c85 (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1989:22866)\\n    at CS (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1989:19458)\\n    at async CS (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1989:20759)\\n    at async CS (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1989:20759)","timestamp":"2025-11-05T08:35:42.935Z"},{"error":"Error: Language not supported while highlighting code, falling back to markdown: \\n    at OD (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1251:4413)\\n    at file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1251:4141\\n    at Array.map (<anonymous>)\\n    at vF (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1251:4132)\\n    at q$Q (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1636:15656)\\n    at pw (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:72:19414)\\n    at Mt (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:74:42806)\\n    at b9 (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:74:38347)\\n    at Up (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:74:38275)\\n    at B$ (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:74:38129)","timestamp":"2025-11-05T08:40:55.890Z"},{"error":"Error: Request was aborted.\\n    at Zi._createMessage (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:208:4515)\\n    at processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:105:5)\\n    at runNextTicks (node:internal/process/task_queues:69:3)\\n    at listOnTimeout (node:internal/timers:549:9)\\n    at process.processTimers (node:internal/timers:523:7)","timestamp":"2025-11-05T08:42:16.696Z"},{"error":"Error: Request was aborted.\\n    at Zi._createMessage (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:208:4515)\\n    at processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:105:5)\\n    at runNextTicks (node:internal/process/task_queues:69:3)\\n    at process.processTimers (node:internal/timers:520:9)","timestamp":"2025-11-05T08:43:47.439Z"},{"error":"ySQ: Diagnostics file path mismatch: expected C:\\Users\\jchau\\Git\\Sorcrr\\sorcrr-ai-service-gcp\\Dockerfile, got file://c:\\users\\jchau\\git\\sorcrr\\sorcrr-ai-service-gcp\\dockerfile/)\\n    at MO.beforeFileEdited (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1703:22068)\\n    at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:105:5)\\n    at async Object.call (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1832:624)\\n    at async n85 (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1989:27467)\\n    at async ZrA (file:///C:/Users/jchau/AppData/Roaming/npm/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js:1989:24531)\\n    at asy

Important: The error logs are truncated, which makes a full diagnosis difficult. Still, the Usage Policy violation is the key issue. The error message indicates that the issue may be related to the files used in the analysis. These diagnostics file path mismatches suggest there might be a problem with file references in the current environment configuration. The Request was aborted errors might point to issues in network configurations.

Troubleshooting Steps & Potential Solutions

Let's try some troubleshooting steps to solve this Usage Policy violation error:

  1. Review the Usage Policy: Carefully read Anthropic's Usage Policy (https://www.anthropic.com/legal/aup). Make sure your test requests don't violate any of the listed terms. Common violations include: generating harmful content, using the API for illegal activities, or exceeding rate limits. However, in this case, since you are testing with JWT tokens, the problem is most likely related to the content or format of the request. Ensure that the tokens you are using are formatted correctly. Review the request payloads to ensure that the content is acceptable.
  2. Check JWT Token: Verify your JWT token's format, its claims, and signature. Incorrectly formatted tokens or invalid signatures can cause authorization errors. Check for common issues like incorrect algorithm settings, expiry times, or invalid issuer claims. Since you are performing auth-related changes, double-check your JWT token generation and validation logic. Make sure the testing tokens are valid, and follow the correct format, as any issue here could trigger the error. If the token contains any content that could violate the Usage Policy, such as specific user data or any potentially sensitive information, this could be the source of the issue.
  3. Model Selection: Try switching models using the /model claude-sonnet-4-20250514 command. This sometimes resolves unexpected behavior, although it's a temporary solution.
  4. Request Content: Examine the content of your requests. Is anything in the request payload triggering the violation? Try simplifying your requests to isolate the problem. Start with minimal requests and gradually add complexity until the error reappears. This helps to pinpoint the specific part of your request that is causing the problem. Review any prompts or data you are sending with the JWT token. Any potentially problematic data could trigger the policy violation.
  5. Rate Limits: While this is less likely, consider if you might be exceeding rate limits. Anthropic's API has rate limits to prevent abuse. Check your usage statistics to make sure you aren't sending too many requests in a short time. If you suspect rate limiting, implement exponential backoff and retry mechanisms to handle temporary throttling.
  6. Contact Anthropic Support: If the issue persists, contact Anthropic's support team. Provide them with detailed information, including your environment details, the error logs, the content of your requests, and the steps you've taken to troubleshoot. They can provide specific guidance and identify any backend issues.

Code Example

While I can't provide a full solution without knowing the specific details of your code and JWT implementation, here is a general example of how you might include a JWT token in an API request (example in Python):

import requests

# Replace with your actual API endpoint and JWT token
api_endpoint = "https://api.anthropic.com/your-endpoint"
jwt_token = "YOUR_JWT_TOKEN"

headers = {
    "Authorization": f"Bearer {jwt_token}",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}

# Example request payload
payload = {
    "prompt": "Write a short story about a cat."
}

try:
    response = requests.post(api_endpoint, headers=headers, json=payload)
    response.raise_for_status()  # Raise an exception for bad status codes
    print(response.json())
except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
    print(f"API Error: {e}")

Note: This is a basic example. You might need to adjust it based on the specific requirements of the Anthropic API and your implementation.

Conclusion and Next Steps

This API Error is a tough one, but by systematically checking each potential cause, we can isolate the problem. Always remember to double-check the content of your requests and make sure they comply with the API's usage guidelines. Start with the basics and make sure your requests are correctly formatted and that you're using valid JWT tokens. If you've tried everything, don't hesitate to reach out to Anthropic support with all the details of your issue. Good luck, and happy coding! I hope this helps you resolve the problem and get back to testing your auth changes. This should provide a better understanding of the problem and the steps required to resolve it, and help you return to your development work.