claude-rotator

Run Claude CLI (claude -p) subprocesses with automatic multi-account rotation and rate limit handling. Zero dependencies.

Available in Python, TypeScript, and Rust.

Install

pip install claude-rotator

Requires claude CLI installed and authenticated on at least one account.

Quick Start

from claude_rotator import ClaudeRunner

runner = ClaudeRunner(
    accounts=[
        None,                      # default (~/.claude/)
        "/home/user/.claude_alt",  # fallback account
    ],
)

result = runner.run(prompt="Explain this code", model="sonnet")
print(result.output)
print(f"Cost: ${result.cost_usd:.4f}")
print(f"Duration: {result.duration_seconds:.1f}s")

When the first account hits a rate limit, claude-rotator detects it, caches the cooldown, and retries with the next account.

Async

result = await runner.run_async(prompt="Summarize", model="opus")

API

ClaudeRunner

ClaudeRunner(accounts=[None])

• accounts: List of HOME directory paths. None means the default HOME. Each directory should contain a .claude/ folder with separate credentials.

runner.run() / runner.run_async()

runner.run(
    prompt="...",
    model="sonnet",           # "sonnet", "opus", or full model ID
    tools="Read,Write",       # allowed tools (None to omit)
    cwd=Path("."),            # working directory
    timeout=600,              # seconds
)

Returns a ClaudeResult:

• output: str - the response text
• cost_usd: float - total cost
• duration_seconds: float - wall clock time
• model: str - model used

ClaudeError

Raised on subprocess failure, timeout, or when all accounts are rate-limited.

• stderr: str - error output
• returncode: int - exit code (-1 for timeout)

How Account Rotation Works

1. claude-rotator tries the first account in the list.
2. If the output contains rate limit phrases ("usage limit", "rate limit", "out of extra usage"), it caches the cooldown time.
3. It moves to the next account and retries.
4. Cached accounts are skipped on subsequent calls until their cooldown expires.
5. If all accounts are exhausted, it raises ClaudeError.

How Accounts Work

Each account is a directory containing a .claude/ folder with its own OAuth credentials. Set up multiple accounts by logging in with different HOME directories:

# Account 1 (default)
claude login

# Account 2
HOME=/home/user/.claude_alt claude login

Then pass the directories to ClaudeRunner:

runner = ClaudeRunner(accounts=[None, "/home/user/.claude_alt"])

Security

Audit reports are in audits/. If you find a vulnerability, please open an issue or submit a PR. Independent audits and security contributions are welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md for details.

License

MIT

Made with <3 at Bitcoin.com