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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cline.bot/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Cline connects to AI models through a provider. You have two paths:
  • Cline Provider (recommended): sign in with Google/GitHub/email, no API key setup.
  • Bring Your Own Key (BYOK): use your own provider credentials (cloud or local runtimes).

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IDE Setup

1

Open Cline Settings

Click the settings icon (⚙️) in the Cline panel.
2

Select Provider

Choose your desired provider from the API Provider dropdown.
3

Authenticate

  • Cline Provider: Click Sign In and complete OAuth.
  • BYOK cloud provider: Paste your API key into the API Key field.
  • Local runtime (Ollama/LM Studio): no key needed; ensure runtime is running.
4

Select Model

Choose your desired Claude model from the Model dropdown.

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Provider Options

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Cline Provider

  • One sign-in, no key management
  • Built-in billing and free model options
  • Access to multiple providers from one account
Add credits in Cline settings or at app.cline.bot/dashboard.

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BYOK (cloud + local)

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Cloud Providers

ProviderBest ForSetup Guide
OpenRouterMultiple models, competitive pricingSetup
AnthropicDirect Claude accessSetup
Claude CodeClaude Max/Pro subscriptionSetup
OpenAIGPT modelsSetup
Google GeminiGemini modelsSetup
AWS BedrockEnterpriseSetup
DeepSeekGreat valueSetup

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Local Models

Run models on your own hardware for complete privacy and zero per-request costs.
ProviderBest ForSetup Guide
OllamaCLI-based local runtimeSetup
LM StudioGUI-based local runtimeSetup
Local models require sufficient hardware (especially GPU memory). See Running Models Locally for requirements.

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CLI Setup

# Authenticate from the terminal
cline auth

# Shorthand
cline a
Runs the same auth flow as IDE setup.

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Troubleshooting

IssueFix
”Unauthorized: Please sign in”Session expired. Click Sign In to re-authenticate.
Browser doesn’t openCheck default browser settings. Copy the URL from the Cline output panel manually.
Frequent re-authenticationCheck org security policies. Ensure you’re not clearing IDE secrets. Try a full sign-out/sign-in.
Can’t access organizationVerify membership at app.cline.bot. Ask your admin about permissions. Sign out and back in.