--- title: Kimi CLI with AI Gateway product: vercel url: /docs/ai-gateway/coding-agents/kimi canonical_url: "https://vercel.com/docs/ai-gateway/coding-agents/kimi" last_updated: 2018-10-20 type: how-to prerequisites: - /docs/ai-gateway/coding-agents - /docs/ai-gateway related: - /docs/cli/ai-gateway - /docs/ai-gateway/observability-and-spend/observability - /docs/ai-gateway/observability-and-spend/budgets summary: Connect Kimi CLI to AI Gateway with the Vercel CLI or a TOML provider and model shortlist. install_vercel_plugin: npx plugins add vercel/vercel-plugin --- # Kimi CLI with AI Gateway [Kimi CLI](https://github.com/MoonshotAI/kimi-cli) is Moonshot AI's terminal coding agent. It reads a TOML config at `$KIMI_SHARE_DIR/config.toml` (default `~/.kimi`), which you can point at AI Gateway for unified model access and spend monitoring. ## Related pages > **For AI agents:** Follow these links to understand how this page connects to the rest of the Vercel ecosystem. For the full cross-link map (inbound, outbound, prerequisites, and semantic neighbors), see the .graph.md link below. - [Moonshot AI's Kimi K2 0905 model is now supported in Vercel AI Gateway](https://vercel.com/changelog/moonshot-ais-kimi-k2-0905-model-is-now-supported-in-vercel-ai-gateway?from=related&source_path=%2Fdocs%2Fai-gateway%2Fcoding-agents%2Fkimi&source_site=vercel-docs&relationship=related) - [Kimi K2.6 on AI Gateway](https://vercel.com/changelog/kimi-k2.6-on-ai-gateway?from=related&source_path=%2Fdocs%2Fai-gateway%2Fcoding-agents%2Fkimi&source_site=vercel-docs&relationship=related) - [Kimi K3 and Kimi K3 Fast with ZDR and US-based providers now on AI Gateway](https://vercel.com/changelog/kimi-k3-and-kimi-k3-fast-on-ai-gateway?from=related&source_path=%2Fdocs%2Fai-gateway%2Fcoding-agents%2Fkimi&source_site=vercel-docs&relationship=related) - [Moonshot AI's Kimi K2 model is now supported in Vercel AI Gateway](https://vercel.com/changelog/moonshot-ai-kimi-k2-model-is-now-supported-in-vercel-ai-gateway?from=related&source_path=%2Fdocs%2Fai-gateway%2Fcoding-agents%2Fkimi&source_site=vercel-docs&relationship=related) - [Kimi K3 is now available on AI Gateway](https://vercel.com/changelog/kimi-k3-is-now-available-on-ai-gateway?from=related&source_path=%2Fdocs%2Fai-gateway%2Fcoding-agents%2Fkimi&source_site=vercel-docs&relationship=related) - [Kilo Code with AI Gateway](https://vercel.com/docs/ai-gateway/coding-agents/kilo-code?from=related&source_path=%2Fdocs%2Fai-gateway%2Fcoding-agents%2Fkimi&source_site=vercel-docs&relationship=related) — Connect Kilo Code to AI Gateway with the Vercel CLI or an OpenAI-compatible provider configuration. Set your API key and Full cross-link map for this page: [/docs/ai-gateway/coding-agents/kimi.graph.md](/docs/ai-gateway/coding-agents/kimi.graph.md?from=related&source_path=%2Fdocs%2Fai-gateway%2Fcoding-agents%2Fkimi&source_site=vercel-docs&relationship=graph) ## Set up with the Vercel CLI Run the [Vercel CLI setup command](/docs/cli/ai-gateway#setup) for Kimi CLI: ```bash filename="terminal" npx vercel ai-gateway setup --agent kimi ``` The command writes a gateway provider and a `[models]` shortlist into `$KIMI_SHARE_DIR/config.toml`, with Moonshot's newest models first and the gateway's most-used models after them. It sets `default_model` to prefer `moonshotai/kimi-k3`. The file is created with `0600` permissions because Kimi requires a literal API key. ## Configuring Kimi CLI If you can't use the Vercel CLI, configure Kimi CLI manually: - ### Create an API key Go to the [**AI Gateway**](https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai-gateway\&title=Go+to+AI+Gateway) section in the Vercel dashboard sidebar and click **API keys** to create a new API key. - ### Add the gateway provider Add the provider and a `[models]` shortlist to `~/.kimi/config.toml`: ```toml filename="~/.kimi/config.toml" default_model = "moonshotai/kimi-k3" [providers.vercel-ai-gateway] name = "Vercel AI Gateway" base_url = "https://ai-gateway.vercel.sh/coding-agent/v1" api_key = "your-ai-gateway-api-key" [models.moonshotai/kimi-k3] provider = "vercel-ai-gateway" model = "moonshotai/kimi-k3" max_context_size = 1000000 display_name = "Kimi K3" [models.openai/gpt-6-astra] provider = "vercel-ai-gateway" model = "openai/gpt-6-astra" max_context_size = 1050000 display_name = "GPT-6 Astra" ``` Kimi providers need a literal `api_key`, so the key lands in this file. Create it with mode `0600` so only you can read it: ```bash filename="Terminal" chmod 0600 ~/.kimi/config.toml ``` `default_model` must name a key declared under `[models]`. - ### Start Kimi CLI ```bash filename="Terminal" kimi ``` Switch models in-session. Any gateway model ID works by adding a matching `[models.]` entry. ### Monitor usage and spend View your usage, spend, and request activity in the [**AI Gateway**](https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai-gateway\&title=Go+to+AI+Gateway) section in the Vercel dashboard sidebar. See the [observability documentation](/docs/ai-gateway/observability-and-spend/observability) for more details. ## Environment variables | Variable | Description | | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | | `KIMI_SHARE_DIR` | Overrides the config directory. Defaults to `~/.kimi` | > **⚠️ Warning:** Kimi has no environment-variable lookup for provider keys, so the API key is > stored in `config.toml`. Keep the file mode at `0600`. > **💡 Note:** Kimi CLI lets `OPENAI_API_KEY` and `OPENAI_BASE_URL` environment variables > override this provider. Unset them if requests fail with auth errors. ## Next steps - Browse the [models catalog](/ai-gateway/models) for available models - Configure [spend limits](/docs/ai-gateway/observability-and-spend/budgets) on your API key --- [View full sitemap](/docs/sitemap)