config-kimi-cli-to-use-openrouter-and-kimi-2-5.md

How to configure kimi-cli to use Kimi 2.5 via OpenRouter

(1) Install kimi-cli:

• https://kimi.com/code
• curl -L code.kimi.com/install.sh | bash

(2) Edit/ replace ~/.kimi/config.toml with the provided config.toml file.

• type needs to be openai_legacy, not openai
• base_url must include the /api/v1 path
• model must be moonshotai/kimi-k2.5 (note the additional k)

(3) Get API key

• Go to https://openrouter.ai/settings/keys
• Create a new key or copy existing one
• Replace sk-or-v1-[redacted] with your copied API key

(4) test that it works

• Run command kimi to enter the shell.
• If the shell does not start and it exits immediately, there's something wrong with the config settings.
• Inside the kimi-cli shell, do not run /login.
• Instead type any prompt.
• If you instead see Authorization failed, please check your login status, there's something wrong with the config settings.
• Otherwise it should answer your question, and it's working!

config.toml

# ~/.kimi/config.toml
default_model = "kimi_2_5_via_openrouter"
default_thinking = false

[providers.openrouter]
type = "openai_legacy"
base_url = "https://openrouter.ai/api/v1"
api_key = "sk-or-v1-[redacted]"

[models.kimi_2_5_via_openrouter]
provider = "openrouter"
model = "moonshotai/kimi-k2.5"
max_context_size = 160000

[loop_control]
max_steps_per_turn = 100
max_retries_per_step = 3
max_ralph_iterations = 0
reserved_context_size = 50000

[services]

[mcp.client]
tool_call_timeout_ms = 60000