cline/docs/api/overview.mdx

---
title: "Cline API"
sidebarTitle: "Overview"
description: "Programmatic access to AI models through an OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions API."
---

Welcome to the Cline API documentation. Use the same models that power the Cline extension and CLI from any language, framework, or tool that speaks the OpenAI format.

## What is the Cline API?

The Cline API is an OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions endpoint. You authenticate once with a Cline API key and get access to models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and more through a single base URL. No need to manage separate keys for each provider.

```
Your App  →  Cline API (api.cline.bot)  →  Anthropic / OpenAI / Google / etc.
```

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Getting Started" icon="rocket" href="/api/getting-started">
    Create an API key and make your first request in under a minute.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Authentication" icon="key" href="/api/authentication">
    API keys, account tokens, key rotation, and security best practices.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Chat Completions" icon="message" href="/api/chat-completions">
    Full endpoint reference with request schemas, streaming, and tool calling.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Code Examples" icon="code" href="/api/sdk-examples">
    Ready-to-copy examples for Python, Node.js, curl, and the Cline CLI.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Explore the Reference

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Models" icon="brain" href="/api/models">
    Browse available models, free tier options, reasoning support, and selection guidance.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Errors" icon="triangle-exclamation" href="/api/errors">
    Error codes, mid-stream errors, retry strategies, and debugging tips.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Enterprise API" icon="building" href="/enterprise-solutions/api-reference">
    Admin endpoints for managing users, organizations, billing, and API keys.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Quick Start

```bash
curl -X POST https://api.cline.bot/api/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
  }'
```

Get your API key at [app.cline.bot](https://app.cline.bot) (Settings > API Keys), then follow the [Getting Started](/api/getting-started) guide.