An open-source AI agent that lives in your terminal.

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🎉 News (2026-02-16): Qwen3.5-Plus is now live! Sign in via Qwen OAuth to use it directly, or get an API key from Alibaba Cloud ModelStudio to access it through the OpenAI-compatible API.

Qwen Code is an open-source AI agent for the terminal, optimized for Qwen3-Coder. It helps you understand large codebases, automate tedious work, and ship faster.

Why Qwen Code?

• Multi-protocol, OAuth free tier: use OpenAI / Anthropic / Gemini-compatible APIs, or sign in with Qwen OAuth for 1,000 free requests/day.
• Open-source, co-evolving: both the framework and the Qwen3-Coder model are open-source—and they ship and evolve together.
• Agentic workflow, feature-rich: rich built-in tools (Skills, SubAgents) for a full agentic workflow and a Claude Code-like experience.
• Terminal-first, IDE-friendly: built for developers who live in the command line, with optional integration for VS Code, Zed, and JetBrains IDEs.

Installation

Quick Install (Recommended)

Linux / macOS

curl -fsSL https://qwen-code-assets.oss-cn-hangzhou.aliyuncs.com/installation/install-qwen.sh | bash

Windows (Run as Administrator CMD)

curl -fsSL -o %TEMP%\install-qwen.bat https://qwen-code-assets.oss-cn-hangzhou.aliyuncs.com/installation/install-qwen.bat && %TEMP%\install-qwen.bat

Note

: It's recommended to restart your terminal after installation to ensure environment variables take effect.

Manual Installation

Prerequisites

Make sure you have Node.js 20 or later installed. Download it from nodejs.org.

NPM

npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest

Homebrew (macOS, Linux)

brew install qwen-code

Quick Start

# Start Qwen Code (interactive)
qwen

# Then, in the session:
/help
/auth

On first use, you'll be prompted to sign in. You can run /auth anytime to switch authentication methods.

Example prompts:

What does this project do?
Explain the codebase structure.
Help me refactor this function.
Generate unit tests for this module.

Click to watch a demo video

Authentication

Qwen Code supports two authentication methods:

• Qwen OAuth (recommended & free): sign in with your qwen.ai account in a browser.
• API-KEY: use an API key to connect to any supported provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google GenAI, Alibaba Cloud Bailian, and other compatible endpoints).

Qwen OAuth (recommended)

Start qwen, then run:

/auth

Choose Qwen OAuth and complete the browser flow. Your credentials are cached locally so you usually won't need to log in again.

Note: In non-interactive or headless environments (e.g., CI, SSH, containers), you typically cannot complete the OAuth browser login flow. In these cases, please use the API-KEY authentication method.

API-KEY (flexible)

Use this if you want more flexibility over which provider and model to use. Supports multiple protocols:

• OpenAI-compatible: Alibaba Cloud Bailian, ModelScope, OpenAI, OpenRouter, and other OpenAI-compatible providers
• Anthropic: Claude models
• Google GenAI: Gemini models

The recommended way to configure models and providers is by editing ~/.qwen/settings.json (create it if it doesn't exist). This file lets you define all available models, API keys, and default settings in one place.

Quick Setup in 3 Steps

Step 1: Create or edit ~/.qwen/settings.json

Here is a complete example:

{
  "modelProviders": {
    "openai": [
      {
        "id": "qwen3-coder-plus",
        "name": "qwen3-coder-plus",
        "baseUrl": "https://dashscope.aliyuncs.com/compatible-mode/v1",
        "description": "Qwen3-Coder via Dashscope",
        "envKey": "DASHSCOPE_API_KEY"
      }
    ]
  },
  "env": {
    "DASHSCOPE_API_KEY": "sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxx"
  },
  "security": {
    "auth": {
      "selectedType": "openai"
    }
  },
  "model": {
    "name": "qwen3-coder-plus"
  }
}

Step 2: Understand each field

Field	What it does
modelProviders	Declares which models are available and how to connect to them. Keys like openai, anthropic, gemini represent the API protocol.
modelProviders[].id	The model ID sent to the API (e.g. qwen3-coder-plus, gpt-4o).
modelProviders[].envKey	The name of the environment variable that holds your API key.
modelProviders[].baseUrl	The API endpoint URL (required for non-default endpoints).
env	A fallback place to store API keys (lowest priority; prefer .env files or export for sensitive keys).
security.auth.selectedType	The protocol to use on startup (openai, anthropic, gemini, vertex-ai).
model.name	The default model to use when Qwen Code starts.

Step 3: Start Qwen Code — your configuration takes effect automatically:

qwen

Use the /model command at any time to switch between all configured models.

More Examples

Coding Plan (Alibaba Cloud Bailian) — fixed monthly fee, higher quotas

{
  "modelProviders": {
    "openai": [
      {
        "id": "qwen3.5-plus",
        "name": "qwen3.5-plus (Coding Plan)",
        "baseUrl": "https://coding.dashscope.aliyuncs.com/v1",
        "description": "qwen3.5-plus with thinking enabled from Bailian Coding Plan",
        "envKey": "BAILIAN_CODING_PLAN_API_KEY",
        "generationConfig": {
          "extra_body": {
            "enable_thinking": true
          }
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "qwen3-coder-plus",
        "name": "qwen3-coder-plus (Coding Plan)",
        "baseUrl": "https://coding.dashscope.aliyuncs.com/v1",
        "description": "qwen3-coder-plus from Bailian Coding Plan",
        "envKey": "BAILIAN_CODING_PLAN_API_KEY"
      },
      {
        "id": "qwen3-coder-next",
        "name": "qwen3-coder-next (Coding Plan)",
        "baseUrl": "https://coding.dashscope.aliyuncs.com/v1",
        "description": "qwen3-coder-next with thinking enabled from Bailian Coding Plan",
        "envKey": "BAILIAN_CODING_PLAN_API_KEY",
        "generationConfig": {
          "extra_body": {
            "enable_thinking": true
          }
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "glm-4.7",
        "name": "glm-4.7 (Coding Plan)",
        "baseUrl": "https://coding.dashscope.aliyuncs.com/v1",
        "description": "glm-4.7 with thinking enabled from Bailian Coding Plan",
        "envKey": "BAILIAN_CODING_PLAN_API_KEY",
        "generationConfig": {
          "extra_body": {
            "enable_thinking": true
          }
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "kimi-k2.5",
        "name": "kimi-k2.5 (Coding Plan)",
        "baseUrl": "https://coding.dashscope.aliyuncs.com/v1",
        "description": "kimi-k2.5 with thinking enabled from Bailian Coding Plan",
        "envKey": "BAILIAN_CODING_PLAN_API_KEY",
        "generationConfig": {
          "extra_body": {
            "enable_thinking": true
          }
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "env": {
    "BAILIAN_CODING_PLAN_API_KEY": "sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxx"
  },
  "security": {
    "auth": {
      "selectedType": "openai"
    }
  },
  "model": {
    "name": "qwen3-coder-plus"
  }
}

Subscribe to the Coding Plan and get your API key at Alibaba Cloud Bailian.

Multiple providers (OpenAI + Anthropic + Gemini)

{
  "modelProviders": {
    "openai": [
      {
        "id": "gpt-4o",
        "name": "GPT-4o",
        "envKey": "OPENAI_API_KEY",
        "baseUrl": "https://api.openai.com/v1"
      }
    ],
    "anthropic": [
      {
        "id": "claude-sonnet-4-20250514",
        "name": "Claude Sonnet 4",
        "envKey": "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"
      }
    ],
    "gemini": [
      {
        "id": "gemini-2.5-pro",
        "name": "Gemini 2.5 Pro",
        "envKey": "GEMINI_API_KEY"
      }
    ]
  },
  "env": {
    "OPENAI_API_KEY": "sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "sk-ant-xxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "GEMINI_API_KEY": "AIzaxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
  },
  "security": {
    "auth": {
      "selectedType": "openai"
    }
  },
  "model": {
    "name": "gpt-4o"
  }
}

Enable thinking mode (for supported models like qwen3.5-plus)

{
  "modelProviders": {
    "openai": [
      {
        "id": "qwen3.5-plus",
        "name": "qwen3.5-plus (thinking)",
        "envKey": "DASHSCOPE_API_KEY",
        "baseUrl": "https://dashscope.aliyuncs.com/compatible-mode/v1",
        "generationConfig": {
          "extra_body": {
            "enable_thinking": true
          }
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "env": {
    "DASHSCOPE_API_KEY": "sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxx"
  },
  "security": {
    "auth": {
      "selectedType": "openai"
    }
  },
  "model": {
    "name": "qwen3.5-plus"
  }
}

Tip: You can also set API keys via export in your shell or .env files, which take higher priority than settings.json → env. See the authentication guide for full details.

Security note: Never commit API keys to version control. The ~/.qwen/settings.json file is in your home directory and should stay private.

Usage

As an open-source terminal agent, you can use Qwen Code in four primary ways:

1. Interactive mode (terminal UI)
2. Headless mode (scripts, CI)
3. IDE integration (VS Code, Zed)
4. TypeScript SDK

Interactive mode

cd your-project/
qwen

Run qwen in your project folder to launch the interactive terminal UI. Use @ to reference local files (for example @src/main.ts).

Headless mode

cd your-project/
qwen -p "your question"

Use -p to run Qwen Code without the interactive UI—ideal for scripts, automation, and CI/CD. Learn more: Headless mode.

IDE integration

Use Qwen Code inside your editor (VS Code, Zed, and JetBrains IDEs):

• Use in VS Code
• Use in Zed
• Use in JetBrains IDEs

TypeScript SDK

Build on top of Qwen Code with the TypeScript SDK:

• Use the Qwen Code SDK

Commands & Shortcuts

Session Commands

• /help - Display available commands
• /clear - Clear conversation history
• /compress - Compress history to save tokens
• /stats - Show current session information
• /bug - Submit a bug report
• /exit or /quit - Exit Qwen Code

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl+C - Cancel current operation
• Ctrl+D - Exit (on empty line)
• Up/Down - Navigate command history

Learn more about Commands

Tip: In YOLO mode (--yolo), vision switching happens automatically without prompts when images are detected. Learn more about Approval Mode

Configuration

Qwen Code can be configured via settings.json, environment variables, and CLI flags.

File	Scope	Description
~/.qwen/settings.json	User (global)	Applies to all your Qwen Code sessions. Recommended for modelProviders and env.
.qwen/settings.json	Project	Applies only when running Qwen Code in this project. Overrides user settings.

The most commonly used top-level fields in settings.json:

Field	Description
modelProviders	Define available models per protocol (openai, anthropic, gemini, vertex-ai).
env	Fallback environment variables (e.g. API keys). Lower priority than shell export and .env files.
security.auth.selectedType	The protocol to use on startup (e.g. openai).
model.name	The default model to use when Qwen Code starts.

See the Authentication section above for complete settings.json examples, and the settings reference for all available options.

Benchmark Results

Terminal-Bench Performance

Agent	Model	Accuracy
Qwen Code	Qwen3-Coder-480A35	37.5%
Qwen Code	Qwen3-Coder-30BA3B	31.3%

Ecosystem

Looking for a graphical interface?

• AionUi A modern GUI for command-line AI tools including Qwen Code
• Gemini CLI Desktop A cross-platform desktop/web/mobile UI for Qwen Code

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues, check the troubleshooting guide.

To report a bug from within the CLI, run /bug and include a short title and repro steps.

Connect with Us

• Discord: https://discord.gg/ycKBjdNd
• Dingtalk: https://qr.dingtalk.com/action/joingroup?code=v1,k1,+FX6Gf/ZDlTahTIRi8AEQhIaBlqykA0j+eBKKdhLeAE=&_dt_no_comment=1&origin=1

Acknowledgments

This project is based on Google Gemini CLI. We acknowledge and appreciate the excellent work of the Gemini CLI team. Our main contribution focuses on parser-level adaptations to better support Qwen-Coder models.