faq
A few honest answers.
Privacy, outages, the Claude Code plugin, and how we sit next to tracing tools and gateways. Deeper SDK detail lives in the docs.
Will TokenSentinel send my API keys to your cloud?
No. The SDK runs in your own process. Your provider keys never go to us. If you choose to send events to a hosted service later, only structured waste events leave—and only after local redaction.
Can I use this without signing up?
Yes. pip install token-sentinel and run with no account. The Claude Code plugin works the same way offline.
Is there a Claude Code plugin?
Yes. An open-source plugin watches Claude Code sessions for stuck tool loops and similar waste. It observes by default. See the plugin on GitHub.
How is this different from Langfuse, LangSmith, or Helicone?
They help you understand traces and past spend. TokenSentinel focuses on mid-run waste—expensive stuck behavior while the agent is still working. You can use both.
How is this different from a gateway or proxy?
Gateways sit in the traffic path and often handle keys and routing. TokenSentinel wraps your client in-process. Many teams use a gateway and still add TokenSentinel for waste detection.
What if the hosted service is down?
Your agents keep running. Detection in your process still works; only shipping events and any dashboard would degrade.
Deeper SDK reference: docs FAQ → · Claude Code plugin →