Use Inference APIs with Cline (VS Code)
Choose the "OpenAI Compatible" provider in Cline settings and paste the base URL, key and a model id.
Settings
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Base URL | https://api.inferenceapis.com/v1 (also /openai/v1) |
| API key | From API Keys; send as Authorization: Bearer … |
| Chat model ids | openai/gpt-oss-120b, deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V4-Flash, zai-org/GLM-5.3-Flash, meta-llama/Llama-3.3-70B-Instruct-Turbo — all models |
| Audio model ids | openai/whisper-large-v3 (transcription), hexgrad/Kokoro-82M (speech) |
Steps
- Open Cline → settings (gear) → API Provider → OpenAI Compatible.
- Base URL:
https://api.inferenceapis.com/v1 - API Key: your Inference APIs key.
- Model ID:
openai/gpt-oss-120b(tool calling required for Cline; GPT-OSS, DeepSeek V4/V4.1 and GLM 5.3 all support it). - Set Context window to 131072 (GPT-OSS) or 1000000 (DeepSeek / GLM) if Cline asks.
Verify
Ask Cline to "list the files in this folder" — a working tool call confirms the setup.
Gotchas
- Cline sends long system prompts; budget a few thousand tokens per turn.
- If Cline reports the model does not support tools, double-check the model id is one of the chat models, not a speech model.
If something fails
401 — key missing or wrong · 402 insufficient_balance — add credits on Billing · 404 model_not_found — check the id against the model list (aliases such as gpt-oss-120b work too) · 503 model_unavailable — the model is being enabled. Full details in the API docs.