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:

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

Available Models#

Model IDContextBest Forglm-5205K tokensLatest flagship, best overall performanceglm-5-turbo200K tokensFast responses, quick iterationsglm-4.7205K tokensBalanced performance, strong reasoningglm-4.7-flash200K tokensQuick iterations, prototypingglm-4.7-flashx200K tokensOptimized speedglm-4.6205K tokensStable, excellent codingglm-4.6v128K tokensVision + coding (UI work)glm-4.5131K tokensEfficient codingglm-4.5-air131K tokensLightweight operationsglm-4.5-flash131K tokensFast 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#

CommandDescriptionopenclaw config get agents.defaults.modelCheck current modelopenclaw config set agents.defaults.model.primary "zai/glm-5"Change modelopenclaw gateway restartApply changesopenclaw statusVerify 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#

ToolDescriptionUse CaseWeb SearchSearch the web for real-time informationFinding documentation, news, tutorialsWeb ReaderExtract full content from any webpageReading articles, docs, extracting dataZreadAccess GitHub repositories documentation & codeUnderstanding open-source projects

MCP Quotas by Plan#

PlanWeb Searches + Readers + ZreadLite100 totalPro1,000 totalMax4,000 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:

ToolDescriptionsearch_docSearch documentation in GitHub repositoriesget_repo_structureGet directory structure and file listread_fileRead 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:

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

Connection Timeout

Solutions:

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

Repository Access Failed (Zread)

Solutions:

1. Confirm repository exists and is public
2. Check repository name format: owner/repo
3. 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#

ScenarioTools to UseExample PromptResearch a libraryZread + Web Search"Research the React hooks API and find best practices"Debug an issueWeb Search + Web Reader"Search for solutions to 'Python asyncio CancelledError'"Learn a new frameworkZread"Explain the architecture of the Next.js repository"Stay updatedWeb Search"What are the latest updates in TypeScript 5.4?"Read documentationWeb 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