Continue CLI setup: installation, API key, Base URL, and custom models

To connect Continue CLI to BetterToken, prepare an API key, enter the Base URL shown below, and choose a current Model ID from the model plaza.

Key settings

Field	Value
API Key	BetterToken API key
Base URL	`https://www.bettertoken.ai/v1`
Model	A current Model ID from the model plaza

Prerequisites

The current version of the tool is installed
A BetterToken API key: register and get one
A Model ID from the model plaza

Additional requirements

Install Node.js 20 or later when using the npm installation method

Install

Install Continue CLI

macOS / Linux
Windows PowerShell
npm (cross-platform)

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/continuedev/continue/main/extensions/cli/scripts/install.sh | bash

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/continuedev/continue/main/extensions/cli/scripts/install.ps1 | iex

npm install -g @continuedev/cli

After installation, confirm that cn is available:

cn --version

Manual setup

Field	Value
API Key	BetterToken API key
Base URL	`https://www.bettertoken.ai/v1`
Model	A current Model ID from the model plaza

Configure API Key and Base URL

Set the API Key environment variable

macOS / Linux
Windows PowerShell

Run this in the same terminal that will start Continue CLI:

export BETTERTOKEN_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"

Run this in the same PowerShell window that will start Continue CLI:

$env:BETTERTOKEN_API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY"

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your BetterToken API Key. Do not commit the key to Git or put it in a shared configuration file.

Create config.yaml

Create or edit this file in your user directory:

macOS / Linux: ~/.continue/config.yaml
Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.continue\config.yaml

Add this configuration:

name: BetterToken
version: 0.0.1
schema: v1

models:
  - name: BetterToken GPT
    provider: openai
    model: YOUR_MODEL_ID
    apiBase: "https://www.bettertoken.ai/v1"
    apiKey: ${{ secrets.BETTERTOKEN_API_KEY }}
    useResponsesApi: false

YOUR_MODEL_ID is only an example. Replace it with a current model ID from a supported provider from the model plaza.

Start Continue CLI

macOS / Linux
Windows PowerShell

cn --config ~/.continue/config.yaml

cn --config "$env:USERPROFILE\.continue\config.yaml"

You can enter your project directory first, then run the command. Once the configuration loads, enter a task directly in Continue CLI.

Change the model

After changing model in config.yaml, end the current cn session and start it again. the Model ID must be compatible with the configured endpoint. To use a separate configuration for one project, save it in that project and provide its path explicitly:

cn --config ./continue-bettertoken.yaml

Verify the connection

Send a short test prompt. If the tool returns a response without an authentication or Model ID error, the connection works. Fully restart the tool after changing its configuration.

Switch models

Open the model selector or change the Model field in the configuration. Use the exact Model ID from the model plaza, then restart the current session.

Common errors

Symptom	What to do
`401`, `Unauthorized`, or an API Key error	Confirm `BETTERTOKEN_API_KEY` is set in the current terminal and is a BetterToken API Key.
`model not found` or model unavailable	Copy a current model ID from a supported provider from the model plaza. Do not use a Claude provider model.
Continue still uses an old configuration	Start with `cn --config` and the explicit file path. Check that the filename is `config.yaml`.
Wrong request URL or `404`	Confirm `apiBase` is `https://www.bettertoken.ai/v1`. Do not append `/chat/completions` or a model name.
The API Key variable is not resolved	Set `BETTERTOKEN_API_KEY` in the same terminal that starts `cn`, then launch it again.

Setup FAQ

Which Base URL should Continue CLI use? Use https://www.bettertoken.ai/v1. This is BetterToken’s OpenAI-compatible Base URL. Can I use a BetterToken API key? Yes. provider: openai with useResponsesApi: false uses OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions. Get both the API Key and Model ID from BetterToken. How do I view or switch saved configurations? Enter /config inside a Continue CLI session to view and choose local configurations.

Advanced setup

Supported providers

Provider	Status
Claude	Not supported
GPT	Manual setup
Kimi	Manual setup
GLM	Manual setup

Statuses apply to the BetterToken setup documented on this page.

What the setup methods mean

Manual setup: enter the API Key, Base URL, and Model.
Not supported: no verified direct setup is currently available.

Technical details

Protocol, endpoint, and internal provider fields

This setup uses provider: openai, apiBase: "https://www.bettertoken.ai/v1", and useResponsesApi: false. Continue calls Chat Completions, so do not append /chat/completions to apiBase.

Getting started

Coding Agent setup

AI application platform setup

Advanced

Continue CLI setup: installation, API key, Base URL, and custom models

Key settings

Prerequisites

Additional requirements

Install

Install Continue CLI

Manual setup

Configure API Key and Base URL

Change the model

Verify the connection

Switch models

Common errors

Setup FAQ

Advanced setup

Supported providers

Technical details

​Key settings

​Prerequisites

​Additional requirements

​Install

​Install Continue CLI

​Manual setup

​Configure API Key and Base URL

​Change the model

​Verify the connection

​Switch models

​Common errors

​Setup FAQ

​Advanced setup

​Supported providers

​Related guides

​Technical details

Key settings

Prerequisites

Additional requirements

Install

Install Continue CLI

Manual setup

Configure API Key and Base URL

Change the model

Verify the connection

Switch models

Common errors

Setup FAQ

Advanced setup

Supported providers

Related guides

Technical details