Fix Claude Code Login — Cannot Paste Auth Code

Written by Michael Lip · Solo founder of Zovo · $400K+ on Upwork · 100% JSS Join 50+ builders · More at zovo.one

Last updated: April 14, 2026

TL;DR: Claude Code’s login prompt sometimes does not accept pasted text due to terminal paste bracketing. Disable paste bracketing, type the code manually, or use the ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable instead.

The Problem

When running claude /login, you complete the browser authorization flow and receive a code to paste back into the CLI. But when you try to paste it:

Paste code here if prompted >

Nothing happens. The pasted text does not appear, and pressing Enter gives an empty input error. This is a known regression affecting v2.1.105+ on Linux, WSL, and some macOS terminal configurations.

Why This Happens

Modern terminals use “paste bracketing” — they wrap pasted text in escape sequences (\e[200~....\e[201~) to distinguish it from typed input. Claude Code’s TUI input handler does not always process these escape sequences correctly, causing the pasted text to be silently discarded.

This is tracked as a known bug in the Claude Code repository (issues #47648, #47670, #47656).

The Fix

Step 1 — Try Disabling Paste Bracketing

Before running claude /login, disable paste bracketing in your terminal:

# Disable paste bracketing for the current session
printf '\e[?2004l'

# Then run login
claude /login

Step 2 — Use Manual Typing (Short Codes)

If the auth code is short enough (usually 6-8 characters), type it manually character by character rather than pasting.

Step 3 — Use API Key Authentication Instead

The most reliable workaround is to bypass the browser OAuth flow entirely:

# Get your API key from https://console.anthropic.com/
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-api03-your-key-here"

# Add to your shell profile for persistence
echo 'export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-api03-your-key-here"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

# Verify Claude Code can authenticate
claude --version

Step 4 — WSL-Specific Fix

If you are using WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), there is an additional issue where the WSL terminal does not pass clipboard contents correctly:

# Option 1: Use powershell.exe to get clipboard
CODE=$(powershell.exe -command "Get-Clipboard" | tr -d '\r')
echo "$CODE" | claude /login

# Option 2: Use xclip if X11 is configured
sudo apt install xclip
xclip -o -selection clipboard | claude /login

Step 5 — Verify It Works

# Check authentication status
claude auth status

Expected output:

Authenticated as: [email protected]
Subscription: Pro/Max
API: Anthropic

Common Variations

Scenario	Cause	Quick Fix
Paste works in other apps, not Claude	Paste bracketing in TUI	`printf '\e[?2004l'` before login
WSL2 paste broken	WSL clipboard isolation	Use `powershell.exe Get-Clipboard` pipe
Dev Container paste broken	Container terminal limitations	Use `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` env var
SSH session paste broken	Remote terminal escape handling	Use API key auth or `tmux` paste
Works on v2.1.104, broken on v2.1.105	Regression in TUI input	Downgrade or use API key auth

Prevention

Use API key auth for automated environments: Set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY in CI/CD, containers, and remote sessions.
Pin working versions: If paste regressions recur, pin to a known working version with npm install -g @anthropic-ai/[email protected].

Fix Claude API Error 401 — Unauthorized — Auth token expired or invalid
Claude Code Config File Location — Where settings and credentials are stored
Claude Code API Authentication Patterns Guide — Browse all auth guides

Last verified: 2026-04-14. Found an issue? Open a GitHub issue.