[merlindru]

claude -p is allowed as far as I'm aware.

if i understand correctly, they even have a wrapper around it to make it easier to use: the Claude Agent SDK

the thing that's disallowed is pretending you're the claude binary, logging in through OAuth

in other words, if you use some product thats not Claude Code, and your browser opens asking you to "give Claude Code access to your account", you're in hot water

as for how they detect it: they say they use heuristics and usage patterns. if something falls wildly out of the distribution it's a ban.

my take is that the problem is not the means of detection. that's fine and seems to work well. the problem is that its an instant outright ban. they should give you a couple warning emails, then a timeout, etc.

[adastra22]

The Claude Agent SDK is explicitly disallowed from subscription use, as of a few days ago.

[BoorishBears]

No it's not. You can't offer OAuth + the Claude Agent SDK in your own product, but you can use Claude Agent SDK locally by signing in through Claude Code.

It's no different than using Claude Code directly.

[skeledrew]

Why a couple warnings and timeout? 1 warning that the next incident will lead to a ban should be enough. Treat people like adults, not kids.

[merlindru]

adults make mistakes and the situation was murky without clear guidance.

this was the experience for some claude subscribers just a couple weeks ago:

1. download opencode

2. select claude as a model

3. browser window opens, asking you to sign in. typical oauth screen.

4. everything works, prompt away

5. some days/weeks pass

6. you get permanently banned

now if you add one warning email just before step (6.) then that doesn't really help. what if it bounces? what if people don't check their emails? put a big flashy red warning into claude code? sure, but what if users accidentally dismiss it or simply do not understand it (non tech folks, non native english speakers)

its just the friendly and correct thing to do, in my opinion

[nikcub]

> they say they use heuristics and usage patterns.

cache hit rate alone would stand out

[mvdtnz]

Why do you mean by this? What cache?

[akssassin907]

The heuristic detection approach is fine. The penalty ladder is broken.

Reasonable progression: warning email → quota throttle → AI Pro subscription suspended → Google account suspended.

They skipped to step 4 on a first offense, paid account, no appeal. That's not a terms enforcement system, that's a hostage situation. "Comply or lose your digital life."

The real lesson isn't "don't use OpenClaw." It's: never let one company own your primary identity infrastructure.

[gopil]

Is OpenClaw a product though? It's more like a system/framework.