Z.AI Coding Plan (Zhipu AI)
The Z.AI Coding Plan is a monthly subscription from Zhipu AI that gives you access to GLM models through an OpenAI-compatible API. GLM models are strong at text generation, deep thinking, and code — and the coding plan provides flat-rate access for use with AI coding tools.
Why Z.AI?
- GLM model family — Access to GLM-5, GLM-4.7, and other variants
- OpenAI-compatible — Works with any tool that supports the OpenAI Chat Completions API
- International endpoint — Global access via
api.z.ai - Coding-optimized — Subscription designed for coding tool integration
Available Models
| Model | Capabilities |
|---|---|
glm-5 | Text generation, deep thinking |
glm-4.7 | Text generation, deep thinking |
glm-4.7-flash | Fast text generation |
glm-4.7-flashx | Fast text generation |
glm-4.6 | Text generation |
glm-4.6v | Text generation, visual understanding |
glm-4.5 | Text generation |
glm-4.5-air | Lightweight text generation |
glm-4.5-flash | Fast text generation |
glm-4.5v | Text generation, visual understanding |
Model Selection
For general use, start with glm-5 — it's the most capable model. For faster responses, try glm-4.7-flash. Models ending in v support visual understanding (image input).
Quick Setup
Step 1: Get Your API Key
- Go to Z.AI and sign in
- Navigate to your API key management page
- Create a new API key
- Copy the key (format:
hexstring.Base64string)
Step 2: Configure in Crow's Nest
- Open your Crow's Nest → Settings
- Find the AI Provider section
- Set:
- Provider: OpenAI (Z.AI uses an OpenAI-compatible API)
- API Key: Your Z.AI key
- Model:
glm-5(or any model from the table above) - Base URL:
https://api.z.ai/api/coding/paas/v4
- Click Save, then Test Connection
- Go to Messages → the AI Chat tab is now active
Alternative: .env Configuration
AI_PROVIDER=openai
AI_API_KEY=your-zai-key-here
AI_MODEL=glm-5
AI_BASE_URL=https://api.z.ai/api/coding/paas/v4No gateway restart needed — the config is hot-reloaded.
Switching Models
To switch models, update AI_MODEL in Settings or .env to any model from the table above. All models use the same API key and base URL — only the model name changes.
Endpoint Reference
| Purpose | URL |
|---|---|
| Coding Plan (international) | https://api.z.ai/api/coding/paas/v4 |
| Standard API (international) | https://api.z.ai/api/paas/v4 |
| Standard API (China mainland) | https://open.bigmodel.cn/api/paas/v4 |
WARNING
The Coding Plan endpoint (/api/coding/paas/v4) is different from the standard API endpoint (/api/paas/v4). Use the correct one for your subscription type.
Troubleshooting
"API key is invalid (401)"
Make sure you're using a Coding Plan key with the Coding Plan endpoint. Standard API keys don't work with the Coding Plan endpoint and vice versa.
"Model not found (404)"
Check the model name matches exactly (case-sensitive). The available models depend on your subscription tier.
Tool calls not working
GLM models generally support function/tool calling. If tools aren't working, try glm-5 which has the strongest tool calling support.