Z.AI Coding Plan Setup

Configure OpenClaw to use Z.AI GLM Coding Plan models with optimal settings, region selection, API key setup, model choice, and MCP tools for enhanced coding...

nelmaz@nelmaz

Install

openclaw skills install @nelmaz/zai-coding

Z.AI Coding Plan Setup

Overview

Configure OpenClaw to use Z.AI GLM Coding Plan models for optimal coding performance. Z.AI provides multiple GLM models optimized for development tasks with varying context windows and performance characteristics.

Prerequisites

Before configuring Z.AI Coding Plan:

OpenClaw installed - Verify with openclaw gateway status
Z.AI API Key - Available from https://z.ai/subscribe (international) or https://bigmodel.cn (China)
Docker environment - API key available as ZAI_API_KEY environment variable

Available Models

Model ID	Context	Best For
glm-5	205K tokens	Latest flagship, best overall performance
glm-5-turbo	200K tokens	Fast responses, quick iterations
glm-4.7	205K tokens	Balanced performance, strong reasoning
glm-4.7-flash	200K tokens	Quick iterations, prototyping
glm-4.7-flashx	200K tokens	Optimized speed
glm-4.6	205K tokens	Stable, excellent coding
glm-4.6v	128K tokens	Vision + coding (UI work)
glm-4.5	131K tokens	Efficient coding
glm-4.5-air	131K tokens	Lightweight operations
glm-4.5-flash	131K tokens	Fast coding, cost-effective

Configuration Steps

Step 1: Verify OpenClaw Status

bash

openclaw gateway status

Step 2: Choose Configuration Method

Option A: Interactive Setup (Recommended)

International users:

bash

openclaw onboard --auth-choice zai-coding-global

China region users:

bash

openclaw onboard --auth-choice zai-coding-cn

This prompts for the API key and configures everything automatically.

Option B: Manual Configuration

Edit ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

json

{
  "env": {
    "ZAI_API_KEY": "sk-your-api-key-here"
  },
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "zai/glm-5"
      }
    }
  }
}

Important: Model format is zai/<model-name>.

Step 3: Configure Coding-Specific Settings

For optimal coding performance:

bash

# Enable tool streaming (better for coding workflows)
openclaw config set agents.defaults.models."zai/glm-5".params.tool_stream true --json

# Set higher context for complex projects (optional)
openclaw config set agents.defaults.maxContextTokens 150000

Step 4: Optional - Create Coding-Focused Agent

For dedicated coding agents:

bash

openclaw agents create coding-assistant

Configure in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

json

{
  "agents": {
    "coding-assistant": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "zai/glm-5"
      },
      "systemPrompt": "You are an expert software developer. Focus on writing clean, efficient, and well-documented code. Always explain your reasoning and provide best practices.",
      "tools": ["filesystem", "shell", "browser"]
    }
  }
}

Step 5: Restart and Verify

bash

# Validate configuration
openclaw config validate

# Restart gateway
openclaw gateway restart

# Check status
openclaw status

Step 6: Test Configuration

Test with a simple coding task:

bash

openclaw chat "Write a Python function to calculate the fibonacci sequence"

Model Selection Guide

Use the right model based on your needs:

General coding → zai/glm-5 - Best overall performance
Quick prototyping → zai/glm-5-turbo - Fast responses
Complex refactoring → zai/glm-4.7 - Strong reasoning
Code review → zai/glm-4.6 - Stable, thorough
UI/Frontend work → zai/glm-4.6v - Vision capabilities
Simple scripts → zai/glm-4.5-flash - Cost-effective

Region Configuration

International: zai-coding-global endpoint → https://api.z.ai/api/coding/paas/v4
China: zai-coding-cn endpoint → https://api.bigmodel.cn/api/coding/paas/v4

Troubleshooting

Authentication Error (1001)

API key missing or invalid:

bash

openclaw config get env.ZAI_API_KEY

Model Not Found

Ensure correct endpoint:

bash

# International
https://api.z.ai/api/coding/paas/v4

# China
https://api.bigmodel.cn/api/coding/paas/v4

Rate Limiting

GLM Coding Plan has usage limits based on subscription tier:

Lite: 120 prompts per 5-hour cycle
Pro: 600 prompts per 5-hour cycle
Max: Higher limits

Gateway Won't Start

bash

# Check logs
openclaw gateway logs

# Validate config
openclaw config validate

# Reset if needed
openclaw config reset

Switching Models

To change the default model:

bash

# Set new model
openclaw config set agents.defaults.model.primary "zai/glm-4.7"

# Restart to apply
openclaw gateway restart

Integration with Channels

This configuration works with all OpenClaw channels:

Feishu: Coding model used for all coding requests
DingTalk: Same model configuration
WeCom: Compatible with coding workflows
CLI: Direct access via openclaw chat

Useful Commands

Command	Description
`openclaw config get agents.defaults.model`	Check current model
`openclaw config set agents.defaults.model.primary "zai/glm-5"`	Change model
`openclaw gateway restart`	Apply changes
`openclaw status`	Verify configuration

Z.AI MCP Tools Configuration

GLM Coding Plan includes powerful MCP tools for web access and code research. These tools are exclusive to Coding Plan subscribers.

Available MCP Tools

Tool	Description	Use Case
Web Search	Search the web for real-time information	Finding documentation, news, tutorials
Web Reader	Extract full content from any webpage	Reading articles, docs, extracting data
Zread	Access GitHub repositories documentation & code	Understanding open-source projects

MCP Quotas by Plan

Plan	Web Searches + Readers + Zread
Lite	100 total
Pro	1,000 total
Max	4,000 total

Step 7: Install Z.AI MCP Tools

After configuring the model, add the MCP tools to enhance your coding agent.

Tool 1: Web Search (`web-search-prime`)

Provides real-time web search capabilities.

One-click install (OpenClaw):

bash

openclaw mcp add web-search-prime --type http --url "https://api.z.ai/api/mcp/web_search_prime/mcp" --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Manual configuration - Add to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

json

{
 "mcpServers": {
 "web-search-prime": {
 "type": "http",
 "url": "https://api.z.ai/api/mcp/web_search_prime/mcp",
 "headers": {
 "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
 }
 }
 }
}

Available tool: webSearchPrime - Search web information with titles, URLs, summaries

Tool 2: Web Reader (`web-reader`)

Extracts complete content from any webpage.

One-click install (OpenClaw):

bash

openclaw mcp add web-reader --type http --url "https://api.z.ai/api/mcp/web_reader/mcp" --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Manual configuration - Add to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

json

{
 "mcpServers": {
 "web-reader": {
 "type": "http",
 "url": "https://api.z.ai/api/mcp/web_reader/mcp",
 "headers": {
 "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
 }
 }
 }
}

Available tool: webReader - Fetch page title, main content, metadata, links

Tool 3: Zread (`zread`)

Access GitHub repositories for documentation and code analysis.

One-click install (OpenClaw):

bash

openclaw mcp add zread --type http --url "https://api.z.ai/api/mcp/zread/mcp" --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Manual configuration - Add to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

json

{
 "mcpServers": {
 "zread": {
 "type": "http",
 "url": "https://api.z.ai/api/mcp/zread/mcp",
 "headers": {
 "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
 }
 }
 }
}

Available tools:

Tool	Description
`search_doc`	Search documentation in GitHub repositories
`get_repo_structure`	Get directory structure and file list
`read_file`	Read complete code content of files

Complete MCP Configuration Example

Here's a complete ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json with all three MCP tools:

json

{
 "env": {
 "ZAI_API_KEY": "sk-your-api-key-here"
 },
 "agents": {
 "defaults": {
 "model": {
 "primary": "zai/glm-5"
 }
 }
 },
 "mcpServers": {
 "web-search-prime": {
 "type": "http",
 "url": "https://api.z.ai/api/mcp/web_search_prime/mcp",
 "headers": {
 "Authorization": "Bearer sk-your-api-key-here"
 }
 },
 "web-reader": {
 "type": "http",
 "url": "https://api.z.ai/api/mcp/web_reader/mcp",
 "headers": {
 "Authorization": "Bearer sk-your-api-key-here"
 }
 },
 "zread": {
 "type": "http",
 "url": "https://api.z.ai/api/mcp/zread/mcp",
 "headers": {
 "Authorization": "Bearer sk-your-api-key-here"
 }
 }
 }
}

Step 8: Verify MCP Tools Installation

After adding the MCP tools, restart and verify:

bash

# Restart gateway to load MCP servers
openclaw gateway restart

# Check MCP status
openclaw mcp list

# Verify tools are available
openclaw status

Step 9: Test the MCP Tools

Test each tool to ensure proper configuration:

Test Web Search:

bash

openclaw chat "Search for the latest Python 3.12 features"

Test Web Reader:

bash

openclaw chat "Read and summarize the content from https://docs.python.org/3/whatsnew/3.12.html"

Test Zread:

bash

openclaw chat "Explain the structure of the fastapi/fastapi repository on GitHub"

MCP Tools Troubleshooting

Invalid API Key

text

Error: Invalid access token

Solutions:

Verify API key is correctly copied (no extra spaces)
Check API key is activated at https://z.ai/manage-apikey/apikey-list
Ensure sufficient balance on your account
Verify Authorization: Bearer format is correct

Connection Timeout

Solutions:

Check network connection
Verify firewall allows HTTPS connections
Increase client timeout settings
Try again later (server may be busy)

Repository Access Failed (Zread)

Solutions:

Confirm repository exists and is public
Check repository name format: owner/repo
Visit https://zread.ai to verify repository is indexed

Quota Exceeded

text

Error: Rate limit exceeded

Solution: Wait for the next 5-hour cycle or upgrade your plan

MCP Tools Use Cases

Scenario	Tools to Use	Example Prompt
Research a library	Zread + Web Search	"Research the React hooks API and find best practices"
Debug an issue	Web Search + Web Reader	"Search for solutions to 'Python asyncio CancelledError'"
Learn a new framework	Zread	"Explain the architecture of the Next.js repository"
Stay updated	Web Search	"What are the latest updates in TypeScript 5.4?"
Read documentation	Web Reader	"Read the FastAPI authentication documentation"

References

Z.AI Coding Plan: https://z.ai/subscribe
OpenClaw Z.AI Provider: https://docs.openclaw.ai/providers/zai
GLM Models Overview: https://docs.openclaw.ai/providers/glm
Web Search MCP: https://docs.z.ai/devpack/mcp/search-mcp-server
Web Reader MCP: https://docs.z.ai/devpack/mcp/reader-mcp-server
Zread MCP: https://docs.z.ai/devpack/mcp/zread-mcp-server

Z.AI Coding Plan Setup

Install

Z.AI Coding Plan Setup

Overview

Prerequisites

Available Models

Configuration Steps

Step 1: Verify OpenClaw Status

Step 2: Choose Configuration Method

Step 3: Configure Coding-Specific Settings

Step 4: Optional - Create Coding-Focused Agent

Step 5: Restart and Verify

Step 6: Test Configuration

Model Selection Guide

Region Configuration

Troubleshooting

Authentication Error (1001)

Model Not Found

Rate Limiting

Gateway Won't Start

Switching Models

Integration with Channels

Useful Commands

Z.AI MCP Tools Configuration

Available MCP Tools

MCP Quotas by Plan

Step 7: Install Z.AI MCP Tools

Tool 1: Web Search (web-search-prime)

Tool 2: Web Reader (web-reader)

Tool 3: Zread (zread)

Complete MCP Configuration Example

Step 8: Verify MCP Tools Installation

Step 9: Test the MCP Tools

MCP Tools Troubleshooting

Invalid API Key

Connection Timeout

Repository Access Failed (Zread)

Quota Exceeded

MCP Tools Use Cases

References

Related skills

Tool 1: Web Search (`web-search-prime`)

Tool 2: Web Reader (`web-reader`)

Tool 3: Zread (`zread`)