Use Kimi in Claude Code

This guide shows how to integrate Kimi’s Anthropic-compatible endpoint (the Messages API) into Claude Code. Claude Code’s interface and configuration options may change across versions; refer to your installed version.

Install Claude Code

Skip this step if Claude Code is already installed. Use the native installer (recommended by Anthropic): macOS and Linux:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Windows (PowerShell):

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

You can also install it as a global npm package (requires Node.js 22 or later):

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Install Node.js and initialize

macOS and Linux:

# Install Node.js
curl -fsSL https://fnm.vercel.app/install | bash

# Open a new terminal so fnm takes effect
fnm install 24.3.0
fnm default 24.3.0
fnm use 24.3.0

Windows (PowerShell):

# Right-click the Windows button, click "Terminal", then run:
winget install OpenJS.NodeJS
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser RemoteSigned

# Close the terminal window and open a new one

After installing Node.js, run the initialization once:

node --eval "
    const fs = require('fs');
    const path = require('path');
    const os = require('os');
    const homeDir = os.homedir();
    const filePath = path.join(homeDir, '.claude.json');
    if (fs.existsSync(filePath)) {
        const content = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(filePath, 'utf-8'));
        fs.writeFileSync(filePath, JSON.stringify({ ...content, hasCompletedOnboarding: true }, null, 2), 'utf-8');
    } else {
        fs.writeFileSync(filePath, JSON.stringify({ hasCompletedOnboarding: true }, null, 2), 'utf-8');
    }"

Not a first-time install? Clean up legacy config and environment variables

If you previously modified ~/.claude/settings.json with third-party tools or by hand, stale values left in its env field override environment variables exported in your terminal, so the new configuration may not take effect or model requests may be silently rewritten. Run this cleanup script first:

node --eval "
    const fs = require('fs');
    const path = require('path');
    const os = require('os');
    const settingsPath = path.join(os.homedir(), '.claude', 'settings.json');
    if (fs.existsSync(settingsPath)) {
        const content = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(settingsPath, 'utf-8'));
        if (content && typeof content === 'object' && content.env && typeof content.env === 'object') {
            for (const key of [
                'ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL',
                'ANTHROPIC_API_KEY',
                'ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN',
                'ANTHROPIC_MODEL',
                'ANTHROPIC_SMALL_FAST_MODEL',
                'CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL',
                'ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL',
                'ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL_NAME',
                'ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL',
                'ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL_NAME',
                'ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL',
                'ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL_NAME',
                'ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_FABLE_MODEL',
                'ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_FABLE_MODEL_NAME',
                'ENABLE_TOOL_SEARCH',
                'CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW',
                'CLAUDE_CODE_EFFORT_LEVEL',
            ]) {
                delete content.env[key];
            }
            fs.writeFileSync(settingsPath, JSON.stringify(content, null, 2), 'utf-8');
        }
    }"

The script only removes endpoint, credential, and model-related variables from env; it does not touch other settings in settings.json (permissions, theme, and so on).Also check shell config files such as ~/.zshrc and ~/.bashrc for stale ANTHROPIC_* exports (Windows users: check user environment variables) and delete them, otherwise they will interfere with the new configuration.

Get a Kimi API Key

Create an API key on the Kimi Platform, and use it to replace YOUR_MOONSHOT_API_KEY below.

Configure Environment Variables

Write the following variables into the env field of ~/.claude/settings.json, then restart Claude Code for them to take effect. This example sets the HAIKU tier to kimi-k2.7-code and all other tiers to kimi-k3[1m].

{
  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://api.moonshot.ai/anthropic",
    "ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN": "YOUR_MOONSHOT_API_KEY",
    "ANTHROPIC_MODEL": "kimi-k3[1m]",
    "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL": "kimi-k3[1m]",
    "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL": "kimi-k3[1m]",
    "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL": "kimi-k2.7-code",
    "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_FABLE_MODEL": "kimi-k3[1m]",
    "CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL": "kimi-k3[1m]",
    "CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW": "1000000",
    "CLAUDE_CODE_EFFORT_LEVEL": "max"
  }
}

Note: the env block in settings.json overrides same-named variables exported in your terminal. This file contains your API key in plain text; do not commit it to git.

Configuration Reference

Claude Code uses different model tiers for different scenarios (main conversation, background summarization, sub-agents, and so on). Configuring only some of the variables makes the corresponding scenarios fail silently:

Variable	Purpose	If not configured
`ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL`	Kimi endpoint address	Requests go to Anthropic’s official endpoint and fail authentication
`ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN`	Kimi API key	Returns 401 authentication errors
`ANTHROPIC_MODEL`	Main conversation model	Model-not-found errors
`ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL` / `ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL` / `ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL` / `ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_FABLE_MODEL`	Model used by each task tier	Tasks on the corresponding tier fail
`CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL`	Sub-agent model	Sub-agent tasks fail or degrade noticeably
`CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW`	Context window that triggers auto-compaction	Too small compacts early and loses context; too large causes context-length errors
`CLAUDE_CODE_EFFORT_LEVEL`	Reasoning effort	Set to `max`; lower values may reduce quality on complex tasks

Models and Thinking Behavior

How the three models behave in Claude Code:

Model	Thinking mode	Notes
`kimi-k3` (default)	On by default, can be turned off	Works out of the box, no extra configuration needed
`kimi-k2.7-code`	Forced on, cannot be turned off	Must enable Thinking in Claude Code (`Option+T` on macOS, `Alt+T` on Windows/Linux) before use
`kimi-k2.6`	Optional	Good for latency-sensitive simple tasks

With thinking off, requests to kimi-k2.7-code are rejected with 400 invalid thinking: only type=enabled is allowed for this model.

Confirm That the Configuration Took Effect

After configuring, you can first verify the endpoint and API key with curl:

curl https://api.moonshot.ai/anthropic/v1/messages \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_MOONSHOT_API_KEY" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{"model": "kimi-k3", "max_tokens": 1, "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "hi"}]}'

A normal JSON response means the endpoint and credential both work; a 401 means the API key is invalid or does not match the platform. Once confirmed, start Claude Code and enter /status:

Base URL should show https://api.moonshot.ai/anthropic
Model should show kimi-k3[1m]

Claude Code’s /model menu shows the models you have configured.

Finally, send any message (for example hello). Receiving a normal reply confirms the end-to-end setup works:

FAQ

401 authentication errors

Check that ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN is a valid Kimi API key, and that YOUR_MOONSHOT_API_KEY has been replaced with your key;
Make sure ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL matches the platform where you created the key — create the key on the platform linked in “Get a Kimi API Key” above and use the endpoint shown on this page;
If you previously configured ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, remove it to avoid conflicts with ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN when both are present.

Model not found

Check the spelling of every model variable (kimi-k3[1m]), and make sure there are no extra spaces or quotes.

Background tasks or sub-agent errors

Usually ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL, ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_FABLE_MODEL, or CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL is not configured, so the scenario requests a model name the Kimi endpoint cannot recognize. Fill them in per the Configuration Reference above.

Changes do not take effect

Check for stale values in the env field of ~/.claude/settings.json; run the cleanup script in the collapsed section above;
Check shell config files such as ~/.zshrc and ~/.bashrc for stale ANTHROPIC_* exports;
Restart Claude Code after modifying settings.json.

Get Started

Model Capabilities

Tooling workflows

Core workflows

Integrations

Debugging and operations

Install Claude Code

Get a Kimi API Key

Configure Environment Variables

Configuration Reference

Models and Thinking Behavior

Confirm That the Configuration Took Effect

FAQ

​Install Claude Code

​Get a Kimi API Key

​Configure Environment Variables

​Configuration Reference

​Models and Thinking Behavior

​Confirm That the Configuration Took Effect

​FAQ

Install Claude Code

Get a Kimi API Key

Configure Environment Variables

Configuration Reference

Models and Thinking Behavior

Confirm That the Configuration Took Effect

FAQ