Connect to GLM-5

📝 Course Notes

Key takeaways from this lesson:

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Estimated time: 5 minutes

Which Chinese AI model is worth buying? GLM-5 offers the best value:

• Excellent Chinese: Top-tier comprehension and expression for writing, summarizing, and translation
• Strong Coding: Reasoning, programming, and agent capabilities at SOTA level
• Stable Access: Direct connection from China, no VPN needed, fast response
• Great Value: Coding Plan starts at ¥49/month, much cheaper than pay-per-use

🎯 GLM-5 Key Advantages

Capability	Description
Deep Reasoning	Complex logic analysis, multi-step task planning
Code Generation	Correct syntax, consistent style, ready to run
Agent Collaboration	Supports automatic tool calling, multi-turn tasks
Chinese Expression	Writing polish, document summary, technical translation

Pro Plan Additional Features (highly recommended):

• 🌐 Web Search: Real-time information retrieval
• 🖼️ Image/Video Understanding: Drop screenshots and ask questions
• 📄 Web Page Reading: Summarize content from URLs
• 📦 Open Source Analysis: Read GitHub repositories directly

If you haven't read "What is an API Key", we recommend going back to 1.4 Overview first.

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What You'll Learn

• Get a Zhipu AI API Key
• Connect Zhipu provider in OpenCode
• Select GLM-5 model and complete your first conversation

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🎒 Prerequisites

• [ ] Completed 1.2 Installation, can run opencode
• [ ] Can access Zhipu console and obtain an API Key

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Follow Along

Step 1: Register and Get API Key

Register/login through the following link:

• Official Link: https://open.bigmodel.cn

Note for International Users:

• Zhipu AI platform is accessible globally - international users can register and use the service
• We recommend the Pro plan to use GLM-5 and unlock advanced features like web search
• Save your Key securely (don't share in groups, don't commit to GitHub)

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Step 2: Connect Zhipu in OpenCode

Start OpenCode:

opencode

Enter:

/connect

Search and select in the provider list:

• Zhipu AI Coding Plan

Then paste your API Key.

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Step 3: Select GLM-5 Model

Enter:

/models

Select glm-5.

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Step 4: Send Your First Message (Verify Success)

Hello, please introduce yourself

If you receive a response, the connection is successful.

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Checklist ✅

• [ ] Can see glm-5 model in /models
• [ ] Can receive AI responses when sending messages
• [ ] Fast response with natural Chinese output

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Solution
No Zhipu AI Coding Plan option	OpenCode version too old	Upgrade: opencode upgrade
API key invalid	Key format error	Confirm complete Key (format like xxx.xxx)
Slow response or timeout	Network fluctuation	Check network, or try again later

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💡 Plan Selection

Coding Plan has three tiers (monthly subscription):

Plan	Price	Best For
Lite	¥49/month	Light usage
Pro	¥149/month	Daily use, best value (recommended)
Max	¥469/month	Heavy users, generous quota

We highly recommend Pro:

• ✅ Supports latest GLM-5 flagship model
• ✅ Sufficient quota for daily development
• ✅ Unlocks advanced features: web search, image understanding, repository analysis
• ✅ Faster generation speed than Lite

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Next Steps

• Return to 1.4 Overview to choose another path, or proceed to 2.1 Interface & Basic Operations