Claude Code Outage: 3 Key Points
- API error rates surged across all of Anthropic’s Claude models
- Claude Code users halted work due to 500 errors
- Microsoft AI team also uses this service — impacting the entire industry
What Happened?
Claude Code experienced a major outage. Developers encountered 500 errors when accessing the service, and Anthropic officially announced an increase in API error rates “across all Claude models.”[The Verge]
Anthropic stated that they identified the issue and are working on a fix. The current status page indicates that the outage has been resolved.[Anthropic Status]
Why is it Important?
Claude Code is not just an AI tool. It has become a core infrastructure that many developers, including the Microsoft AI team, rely on in their daily work.
Frankly, such outages are rare. According to the Anthropic status page, Claude Code’s 90-day uptime is 99.69%. But the problem is that even less than 1% downtime has a significant impact on developer productivity.
Personally, I see this incident as a warning about the dependence on AI coding tools. If you put all your workflows on a single service, you have no alternative when an outage occurs.
Recent Anthropic Service Issues
It is also worth noting that this outage is not an isolated incident:
- Yesterday (February 2nd): Errors occurred in Claude Opus 4.5
- Earlier this week: Fixed issues with AI credit system purchases
- January 31st: Claude Code 2.1.27 memory leak — patched to 2.1.29
The continuous occurrence of multiple issues in a short period is a disappointing aspect in terms of service stability.
What Happens Next?
It’s a good sign that Anthropic is responding quickly. However, it’s time for developers to consider a backup plan.
Alternatives to Claude Code include tools like Goose (free) and pi-mono (open source). They are not complete replacements, but they can help maintain minimal work continuity in the event of an outage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How often does Claude Code outage occur?
A: According to Anthropic’s official data, the 90-day uptime is 99.69%. Major outages like this are rare, but there have been several minor issues in recent weeks. It’s not something to completely ignore.
Q: What are the alternatives in case of an outage?
A: Goose is a free AI coding agent, and pi-mono is an open-source alternative with 5.9k stars on GitHub. Neither covers all the features of Claude Code, but they are options to continue working in an emergency.
Q: Does Anthropic provide compensation?
A: To date, Anthropic has not announced a separate compensation policy for outages. For paid users, the fact that there are no charges during the outage time due to usage-based billing is a de facto compensation.
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References
- Claude Code is down, forcing developers to take a long coffee break – The Verge (2026-02-03)
- Anthropic Status Page – Anthropic (2026-02-03)