Use BigModel.io with Cline

Configure Cline in VS Code with the OpenAI Compatible provider, base URL https://bigmodel.io/v1 and a BigModel.io key, then set context window and image support for GLM, Kimi or DeepSeek.

On this page
  1. Configure the OpenAI Compatible provider
  2. Alternative: the Anthropic provider
  3. Verify the setup
  4. Troubleshooting
  5. Related

Cline has a dedicated OpenAI Compatible provider. It calls Chat Completions, so any BigModel.io text model your key can call works with it, including models in Chat Completions-only GLM and DeepSeek groups.

Field in Cline Value
API Provider OpenAI Compatible
Base URL https://bigmodel.io/v1
API Key your BigModel.io API key (sk-...)
Model ID a model ID from the model catalog, e.g. glm-5.3
Model Configuration Max Output Tokens, Context Window, Image Support from the model page

#Configure the OpenAI Compatible provider

  1. Open the Cline panel in VS Code and click the settings (gear) icon.
  2. Set API Provider to OpenAI Compatible.
  3. Enter Base URL https://bigmodel.io/v1. Do not add /chat/completions.
  4. Paste your key from API Keys into API Key.
  5. Enter the exact Model ID, for example glm-5.3, kimi-k3 or deepseek-v4-pro.
  6. Under Model Configuration, set Context Window and Max Output Tokens to the values on the model page. Turn on Image Support only if the model accepts images, and leave Computer Use off unless the model supports it.
  7. Optionally fill Input Price and Output Price (USD per 1M tokens, from the model page) so Cline's cost estimate is close. The billed amount is the one in Usage.
  8. Save.

Cline keeps separate settings for Plan and Act modes when you enable that option; configure both, or use the same model for both.

#Alternative: the Anthropic provider

If your key's group serves /v1/messages (see the check in the Claude Code guide), you can choose Anthropic, enable the custom base URL option and enter the root https://bigmodel.io (no /v1). For GLM, Kimi or DeepSeek the OpenAI Compatible provider is the simpler choice.

#Verify the setup

Start a new task with a short prompt such as "list the files in this folder". Cline should answer with the model you set, and the request should appear in Usage with that model ID.

#Troubleshooting

503 api_error: No available accounts: no available accounts supporting model: .... The Model ID does not match a model your key's group serves. It must match the catalog ID exactly (lowercase, with dots).

404 on every request. The Base URL must be https://bigmodel.io/v1, without /chat/completions.

401 INVALID_API_KEY. The key was pasted with spaces or was deleted. Copy it again from API Keys.

"Context window exceeded" or truncated answers. The model configuration in Cline does not match the model. Set the context window and max output from the model page, and start a new task to clear the history.

Cline says the model does not support images. Image Support is off in Model Configuration, or the model is text-only.

The task stops with "API request failed" after a long run. Check Usage for the failing request. 403 INSUFFICIENT_BALANCE means top up in Billing; 429 API_KEY_QUOTA_EXHAUSTED means raise the key's quota; 429 rate_limit_error means too many parallel requests, so wait and retry.

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