Use Autohand models in Cline

Q: Which API provider do I select in Cline for Autohand?

Select OpenAI Compatible and set the base URL to https://api.autohand.ai/v1.

Q: Can Cline plan with Moa and act with Fantail?

Yes. Enable Use different models for Plan and Act, then enter moa for Plan mode and fantail for Act mode.

Quick answer

How do I use Autohand models in Cline?

In the Cline settings, select the OpenAI Compatible API provider, set the base URL to https://api.autohand.ai/v1, paste your Autohand API key, and enter fantail or moa as the model ID. Enable separate models for Plan and Act to plan with Moa and implement with Fantail.

Status: Available through the OpenAI Compatible provider
Requires: An Autohand account, an Autohand API key, and the Cline extension.
Configure with: API Provider: OpenAI Compatible, with the Autohand base URL, API key, and model ID.
Best for: Planning with Moa and implementing with Fantail in the same task.

Know before you start: Cline has no separate model setting for its subagents. Subagents are read-only research agents that run within the current task.

Prerequisites

An Autohand account. Sign up or sign in to Console. The Free plan includes Fantail. Moa requires the Pro plan or above.
An Autohand API key. The first step shows how to create one.
The Cline extension for VS Code or JetBrains.

Step 1: Create an Autohand API key

Sign in to Autohand Console.
Open API Keys and select Create API Key.
Enter a name that identifies the agent and machine, for example cline-laptop.
Select Create Key and copy the value. Console shows the key only once.

Step 2: Keep the key available

Cline stores the key you paste in its settings. Keep a copy in an environment variable so you can test the key from a terminal.

Store the key in an environment variable so it stays out of configuration files and source control.

# macOS and Linux (add the line to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc to keep it)
export AUTOHAND_API_KEY="your-api-key"

# Windows PowerShell (current session)
$env:AUTOHAND_API_KEY = "your-api-key"

# Windows (persist for new sessions)
setx AUTOHAND_API_KEY "your-api-key"

Confirm that the key works and that your plan can see the models:

curl https://api.autohand.ai/v1/models \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $AUTOHAND_API_KEY"

The response lists fantail, and moa when your plan includes it. A 401 response means the key is missing or not recognised.

Step 3: Configure the OpenAI Compatible provider

Open Cline and select the settings icon.
In API Provider, select OpenAI Compatible.
In Base URL, enter https://api.autohand.ai/v1.
In API Key, paste your Autohand API key.
In Model, enter fantail.
Expand Model Configuration and set the limits for the model:
- Max Output Tokens: 16000 for Fantail, or 262144 for Moa.
- Context Window: 262144 for Fantail, or 1048576 for Moa.
Leave Use Azure Identity Authentication cleared.

Step 4: Choose Fantail or Moa

Model ID	Use it for	Context	Max output	Plans
`fantail`	Main coding loops, quick fixes, reviews, and sub-agents	262,144 tokens	16,000 tokens	Free and above
`moa`	Planning, large refactors, and multi-file reasoning	1,048,576 tokens	262,144 tokens	Pro and above

Use Moa to plan and Fantail to act

Open Cline settings.
Enable Use different models for Plan and Act.
For Plan mode, select OpenAI Compatible and enter moa with the Moa limits.
For Act mode, select OpenAI Compatible and enter fantail with the Fantail limits.

Cline switches to the configured model when you switch between Plan and Act.

Step 5: Run a test prompt

Start a new task and send:

Summarize what this repository does in three sentences. Do not edit files.

A text answer confirms that Cline reaches Autohand. If Cline shows an authentication or connection error, see Troubleshooting.

Subagents and Fantail

Cline subagents are read-only research agents that run in parallel through the use_subagents tool. They can read and search files and run read-only commands, and they cannot edit files. Cline does not provide a separate model setting for subagents.

To keep research inexpensive, do subagent-heavy exploration in a mode that uses Fantail, for example Act mode with Fantail selected. To turn subagents off, disable the use_subagents tool in Settings > Features > Agent.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Resolution
`401` with `Credential not recognised.` or `Missing Autohand credential.`	The agent sent no key, a mistyped key, or a revoked key.	Confirm that `AUTOHAND_API_KEY` is set in the environment that starts the agent. Create a new key in Console if needed.
`404` or `Not found`	The base URL or the API format is wrong.	Use `https://api.autohand.ai/v1` with the OpenAI Chat Completions format. Autohand does not serve `/v1/responses` or `/v1/messages`.
Model not found or not available	The model ID is misspelled, or your plan does not include it.	Use the exact IDs `fantail` or `moa`. Moa requires the Pro plan or above.
Context length or output errors	The agent uses default limits for an unknown model.	Set the limits for Fantail (262,144 context, 16,000 output) or Moa (1,048,576 context, 262,144 output).
`Invalid API Key` in Cline	The key in the Cline settings differs from the key in Console.	Paste the key again, then test it with the `curl` command in Step 2.

Next steps

Common questions

Cline and Autohand FAQ

Which API provider do I select in Cline for Autohand?

Select OpenAI Compatible and set the base URL to https://api.autohand.ai/v1.

Can Cline plan with Moa and act with Fantail?

Yes. Enable Use different models for Plan and Act, then enter moa for Plan mode and fantail for Act mode.

Can I choose a model for Cline subagents?

No. Cline does not provide a separate model setting for subagents.