Set Up Cline with MonoRouter
Configure Cline's built-in "OpenAI Compatible" provider to route through your Claude Pro or Max subscription. No config file editing required.
What you need
- •A Claude Pro or Max subscription at claude.ai
- •VS Code with the Cline extension installed
- •A MonoRouter account — sign up at /signup
- •A MonoRouter API key (
mrk_*) — get one at /keys - •Your Claude subscription connected to MonoRouter — go to /tokens, click
[ + add token ], and run the auto-connect script
Sign up for MonoRouter
Open /signup, enter your email and set a password. Save the six recovery codes — they're your offline fallback if you lose your password; you can also always reset it by email at /forgot-password.
Connect your Claude subscription
From the dashboard, go to /tokens, click [ + add token ], and pick ANTHROPIC. Use the auto-connect tab — it's the fastest.
The modal shows a one-liner like this:
curl -sSL https://api.monorouter.com/connect.sh | bash -s -- mrc_xxxxxxxxxxxx
Paste it into a terminal. The script runs claude setup-token, which opens a browser window for authorization and creates a long-lived token. When the dashboard flips to connected, you're done.
Configure the provider in Cline
Open the Cline panel in VS Code, click the settings gear, and set:
- •API Provider:
OpenAI Compatible - •Base URL:
https://api.monorouter.com/v1 - •API Key: your MonoRouter key (
mrk_your_key_here) - •Model ID: e.g.
claude-sonnet-5
openclaw.json? The OpenClaw guide has a config merger that folds MonoRouter into an existing config file instead of using the settings UI.Verify it works
Start a new Cline task and ask it something simple. Or test the endpoint directly with curl:
curl -X POST https://api.monorouter.com/v1/chat/completions \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer mrk_your_key_here" \
-d '{
"model": "claude-sonnet-5",
"messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "hi"}]
}'A 200 with a JSON response means you're done. The call also shows up on /dashboard within a second or two.
Choosing a model
Set the Cline model ID to any of these:
| Model | ID | Context | Max output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fable 5 | claude-fable-5 | 1M | 128k |
| Opus 4.8 | claude-opus-4-8 | 1M | 128k |
| Opus 4.7 | claude-opus-4-7 | 1M | 128k |
| Opus 4.6 | claude-opus-4-6 | 1M | 128k |
| Sonnet 5 | claude-sonnet-5 | 1M | 128k |
| Sonnet 4.6 | claude-sonnet-4-6 | 1M | 128k |
| Haiku 4.5 | claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 | 200k | 64k |
Troubleshooting
- •401 Unauthorized — your connected token expired or was revoked. Go to /tokens and reconnect it; the auto-connect script issues a fresh long-lived token.
- •429 Too Many Requests — you've hit your plan's quota. Free accounts get 1,500 lifetime calls, Hobby ($9/month) adds 10,000 calls/month, Pro ($29/month) is unlimited for personal use, and Team ($99/month) pools quota across 5 seats. Check /billing to upgrade.
- •Streaming is fully supported — Cline's task output streams normally through MonoRouter.
Pricing
- •1,500 successful calls are free for the lifetime of your account. Failed calls don't count.
- •After that, paid plans start at $9/month (Hobby, 10,000 calls). Pro is $29/month for unlimited personal use; Team is $99/month for 5 pooled seats. See /billing for the payment flow.
FAQ
Is this the same as the OpenClaw guide?
Almost — OpenClaw is Cline running with its own config-merger flow. This guide covers Cline’s stock "OpenAI Compatible" provider directly, which is the fastest path if you don’t need the config merger.
Which model ID should I use?
Type the exact model ID in the Cline provider settings, e.g. claude-sonnet-5. Cline sends it verbatim to MonoRouter, which maps it to the matching Claude model.
Does Cline support streaming through MonoRouter?
Yes. Cline streams task output over the OpenAI-compatible endpoint, so responses appear incrementally the same way they would with a direct OpenAI or Anthropic key.
Can I switch between multiple Claude models in Cline?
Yes. Add each model ID as a separate entry in Cline’s model dropdown (or edit the config directly) — MonoRouter routes each request based on the model field, so no separate key or base URL is needed per model.
Ready to get started?
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