Cline
Connect Cline, the autonomous coding agent for VS Code, to Cheapa API for intelligent code generation and task automation.
What This Does
Cline is an autonomous AI coding agent that runs inside VS Code. It can read your codebase, write files, execute terminal commands, and iterate on complex tasks. By connecting Cline to Cheapa API, you gain access to powerful models while managing costs through a single unified balance.
Setup
Step 1: Install Cline
- Open VS Code
- Go to the Extensions marketplace (
Cmd+Shift+XorCtrl+Shift+X) - Search for Cline by Cline
- Click Install
Step 2: Open Cline Settings
- Click the Cline icon in the VS Code sidebar
- Click the gear icon or navigate to Settings
- Select Providers or API Provider
Step 3: Configure Cheapa API as Provider
In the provider configuration:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| API Provider | OpenAI Compatible |
| Base URL | https://api.cheapaapi.com/v1 |
| API Key | Your Cheapa API API key |
| Model ID | kimi-k2.7-code or deepseek-v4-pro |
Get your API key from cheapaapi.com/keys. Create a new key if you haven't already.
Step 4: Save and Test
- Save your settings
- Start a new Cline session
- Enter a prompt like "What files are in this project?" to verify connectivity
Recommended Models for Cline
| Task | Model | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Code-specialized generation & refactoring | kimi-k2.7-code | Moonshot's code-tuned K2.7 — best for code generation and refactoring |
| Frontier reasoning / complex refactors | claude-opus-4.8 | Anthropic's flagship — highest code-understanding quality |
| Strong general coding | gpt-5.5 or gpt-5.4 | OpenAI's latest GPT-5 family, 1M context |
| Cost-balanced coding | claude-sonnet-4.6 | Strong reasoning at lower cost than Opus |
| Autonomous coding tasks | deepseek-v4-pro | Optimized for code generation |
| Complex multi-step reasoning | kimi-k2.6 | Strong for planning and analysis, 256K context |
| Large context operations | minimax-m3 or gpt-5.5 | 1M+ context for big codebases |
| Quick iterations | gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview or glm-5.1 | Fast responses, lower cost |
Troubleshooting
Cline shows "API key invalid"
- Verify the key has no trailing spaces or newlines
- Check that the key is active at cheapaapi.com/keys
"Model not found" error
- Ensure you've selected OpenAI Compatible as the provider type
- Use exact model slugs:
kimi-k2.7-code,minimax-m3, etc.
Responses are slow or timeout
- Try a faster model like
glm-5.1ordeepseek-v3.2 - Check your balance isn't depleted at cheapaapi.com/billing
Cline can't connect
- Confirm the Base URL is
https://api.cheapaapi.com/v1(no trailing slash) - Check your network allows outbound HTTPS connections
Notes
- Cline can execute terminal commands — review its actions before approving
- Token usage is per-message and charged at the active model's rate
- For long-running sessions, consider using a cost-efficient model like
glm-5.1 - All usage appears in your Cheapa API console in real-time