What is the Claude Partner Network?
The badge you keep seeing on AI agencies' websites, explained: what Anthropic's program is, what Certified tells you, and how to check any partner before you sign.
If you've been looking for help with Claude lately, you've probably seen "Claude Partner Network" on someone's website. It's on ours now too. We became Certified on 30 October 2026, and the obvious next question is what that actually means for you as a buyer.
Below: what the program is, what Certified tells you, what it doesn't, and how to check any AI partner before you sign. There are two quick tools further down for that last bit.
What is the Claude Partner Network?
Anthropic makes Claude. The Claude Partner Network is the program it runs for the outside firms that build Claude into other businesses: consultancies, integrators, and agencies like us. Anthropic describes it this way:
The Claude Partner Network is how Anthropic works with the firms that put Claude into production for customers. The Services Track recognizes partners for building a certified delivery team, delivering Claude use cases for clients, and proving the work through public customer references. Partners advance through Certified, Select, Preferred, and Global Premier tiers.
Anthropic, Claude Partner Network
Two things in there matter to a buyer. It's about the firms doing the work for you, so it says nothing about which Claude plan you should be on. And it has tiers, so "partner" on its own tells you very little. Ask which tier, then ask what sits behind it.
What does Certified mean?
Certified is the first partner tier. It's about people: the firm has a team who sat Anthropic's certification exams for Claude and passed. These are booked, supervised exams on how Claude works and how to build with it. Watching the free course videos doesn't count.
What Certified doesn't tell you is how much the firm has shipped. The program looks at three things, and the badge mostly speaks to the first. Tap through them to see what to ask about each.
Certified people
What it means. People at the firm currently hold one of Anthropic's certifications for Claude.
Ask them. Will the certified people be the ones building our system, or are they somewhere else in the business?
A good answer sounds like. Names, the certification each one holds, and which of them you'll actually work with.
Client delivery
What it means. Claude work the firm has put into production for real clients, as opposed to demos and pilots.
Ask them. Can you show me something live, ideally in a business like ours, and tell me what broke in the first month?
A good answer sounds like. A screen share of a working system, plus an honest story about the bit that didn't go to plan.
Public proof
What it means. A customer story the client has agreed to put their name to.
Ask them. Is there a client I can call, and what result can they point to?
A good answer sounds like. A name and a phone number, and a number the client would say out loud themselves.
We'd say the same about ourselves. A Certified firm can be a great pick, and plenty of good work happens at that tier. Just let what they've built make the decision, and treat the badge as the reason you took the first meeting.
Weighing up who should build your Claude setup?
Most teams compare two or three firms before they choose.
Check any AI partner in two minutes
Have a firm in mind? Tick what they've actually shown you so far, not what their website says, and see where you stand.
Six out of six is rare, and you shouldn't need all of it before a first workshop. But anything still unticked is worth asking about before you sign, because those are the gaps that turn into surprises later.
Why we got certified
We've been building on Claude for a while: inside HubSpot portals, in proposal systems, and in the tools our clients' teams open every morning. We sat the exams because the people building those systems should know Claude as well as they know HubSpot. They're also the people who scope your project, so nothing gets lost in a handover.
If you want to see what we actually build with it, our Claude for business page covers plans, costs, data and how it connects to HubSpot.
Frequently asked questions
Who runs the Claude Partner Network? Anthropic, the company that makes Claude. It's Anthropic's program for the firms that build Claude into other businesses.
What are the tiers in the Claude Partner Network? Anthropic lists four in the Services Track, as quoted at the top of this post. Certified is the first.
Does a partner's tier mean Anthropic approved my project? No. A tier is about the firm: its team, its delivery and its references. It says nothing about any one project, so ask about the work itself.
Where can I find a partner to build with Claude? Anthropic lists services partners in its partner directory, linked from claude.com/partners.
Is Neighbourhood in the Claude Partner Network? Yes. Neighbourhood is Certified in the Claude Partner Network Services Track, since 30 October 2026.
Sources
- Claude Partner Network, Anthropic, for the program and the partner directory.
- Claude Partner Network announcement kit, Anthropic, October 2026, for the program description quoted above.
Comparing proposals from AI partners?
The gaps usually show up in what a proposal leaves out.