Use Cline and Roo Code with Your Own Vana API Key

Agents at the terminalEN2026-10-24

Cline and Roo Code are coding assistants that can inspect a project, propose changes, and run development tasks with your approval. Connecting either extension to an OpenAI-compatible provider lets you supply your own API key and choose where model requests go.

This walkthrough uses Vana API as the provider. Its single endpoint relays requests to multiple model families, with billing per real token and no monthly fee. You can configure either extension independently; you do not need both installed.

§ 1. Prepare your account and workspace

Create a Vana API account, then obtain an API key from your account dashboard. Check that your account has sufficient balance before sending requests.

Open a project in VS Code and install Cline or Roo Code from the extension marketplace. For your first test, use a small repository with no production credentials or sensitive customer data.

Keep the key private: enter it in the extension’s provider settings, not in a source file or chat message.
Start with a clean working tree: commit or stash existing changes so you can identify edits made by the assistant.
Leave approvals enabled: review file modifications and terminal commands while learning the workflow.

§ 2. Choose the OpenAI-compatible connection

Vana API’s endpoint is https://api.vanaapi.com. It supports OpenAI-compatible requests as well as the Anthropic Messages and Gemini native protocols. For this walkthrough, select the OpenAI-compatible provider in your extension rather than a provider preset that expects a different service’s credentials.

For a field asking for the OpenAI API base URL, use https://api.vanaapi.com/v1. This is the API base, not a complete request URL: do not append /chat/completions. If your installed version handles the version prefix automatically, follow its field guidance and avoid duplicating /v1.

§ 3. Configure Cline

Open Cline’s settings and find the API provider configuration. Labels can vary between releases, so look for the option named OpenAI Compatible or its equivalent.

Provider: choose the OpenAI-compatible option.
Base URL: enter https://api.vanaapi.com/v1, subject to the field guidance above.
API key: paste your Vana API key.
Model ID: copy the exact identifier from Vana API’s current model listing.

For example, you might choose Claude Sonnet 5.5 if it suits your coding task. Use the listed API identifier, not an assumed identifier derived from the display name. Save the configuration and make sure it is the active provider before starting a task.

§ 4. Configure Roo Code

In Roo Code, open the provider settings for the configuration profile you want to use. Select its OpenAI-compatible provider and enter the same base URL, Vana API key, and exact model identifier.

If you maintain multiple profiles, give this one a recognizable name such as Vana Coding. Check which profile is active before each session. A working Cline configuration does not automatically configure Roo Code.

If either extension asks for model capabilities, set context limits, output limits, and other options according to the selected model’s documented support. Do not enable image input or other optional capabilities solely because the interface offers them.

§ 5. Run a small, controlled test

Start with a request such as: “Explain the project structure and suggest one small improvement. Do not change files or run commands.” This tests connectivity without immediately authorizing changes.

Next, request a narrowly scoped edit and inspect the diff before accepting it. Approve only commands you understand. Long conversations, large files, repeated tool calls, and retries can all increase token usage, so check your Vana API usage after the test.

§ 6. Troubleshoot before expanding the task

Authentication failure: verify the key, remove accidental whitespace, and check account access.
Model not found: confirm the exact model identifier and its current availability.
Route or endpoint error: check the base URL for a missing or duplicated version prefix.
Tool or context errors: check model compatibility, update the extension, and reduce the task size.

Once the test works, expand gradually. Your own API key gives you control over provider selection and usage, while approval prompts and version control help keep coding changes reviewable.