GLM Coding Plan learning map

GLM Coding Plan is a subscription. It sells quota so you can call GLM from officially listed tools such as Claude Code and Cursor. It is not a chat app and not Z.AI’s own terminal agent.

Official definition (Overview): “The GLM Coding Plan is a subscription package designed specifically for AI-powered coding.”

This English handbook follows the global docs (docs.z.ai/devpack, endpoints on api.z.ai). China uses docs.bigmodel.cn and open.bigmodel.cn — see the Chinese pages.

Product landscape

Zhipu ships chat products, a metered API platform, and this “fuel for the coding assistant you already use” plan. This directory only covers GLM Coding Plan. ChatGLM / Z.ai chat belong in #74.

Zhipu / Z.AI
├── ChatGLM (Qingyan) — chatglm.cn (chat / Agent, #74)
├── Z.ai — z.ai (global chat / Agent, #74)
├── BigModel / Z.AI Model API — metered standard API
├── GLM Coding Plan — coding subscription inside listed tools (this directory)
│   ├── Individual: Lite / Pro / Max
│   ├── Team: Standard / Premium (China team docs; global Team Plan)
│   └── Loader: npx @z_ai/coding-helper (subset of CLIs only)
└── Other first-party surfaces — AutoGLM / AutoClaw / ZCode / Zread.ai …

Official entry	What it is	Official URL	This site
GLM Coding Plan	Subscription quota for listed coding tools	z.ai/subscribe, Overview	This directory
ChatGLM (Qingyan)	Consumer chat / Agent	chatglm.cn	One map row; #74
Z.ai	Global chat / Agent and API door	z.ai	One map row; #74
Z.AI / BigModel API	Metered model API	z.ai/model-api, bigmodel.cn	One map row; not this plan’s quota
ZCode	First-party tool that can consume the plan	devpack/tool/zcode	One map row; no agent tutorial here
AutoGLM	Same-vendor Agent	zhipuai.cn	One map row
AutoClaw	Local OpenClaw client	autoglm.zhipuai.cn/autoclaw	One map row
Zread.ai	Open-source repo reader	zread.ai	One map row; plan side is Zread MCP only
AMiner	Academic search	zhipuai.cn	Out of scope
Zhipu Learning Center	Education	zhipuai.cn	Out of scope
Zhipu IME	Input method	zhipuai.cn	Out of scope

Sources: zhipuai.cn product nav / footer; docs.z.ai/devpack/overview.

Names that collide:

• Plan ≠ Z.ai / ChatGLM chat. Chat is the assistant. The plan is GLM quota inside Claude Code / Cursor.
• Plan key ≠ other platform API keys. Team Plan keys are not interchangeable (Quick Start).
• /api/coding/paas/v4 ≠ /api/paas/v4. The global Cursor page says you must use the dedicated Coding API, not the General API.
• Coding Tool Helper ≠ a coding agent. npx @z_ai/coding-helper only installs tools and loads the plan.
• Helper’s 4 tools ≠ the full allow-list. Helper currently covers Claude Code, OpenCode, Crush, and Factory Droid (Helper). Cursor is configured by hand.

Decision tree

What do you need?
├── Put GLM into Claude Code / Cursor / Cline you already use
│   └── → this directory
├── Chat / writing / a general assistant
│   └── → Z.ai / ChatGLM (#74), not this plan
├── GLM inside your own app / site / bot / SaaS
│   └── → standard Model API (China FAQ: the coding plan does not apply)
├── Team seats, billing, org controls
│   └── → Team Plan
└── A first-party Z.AI IDE
    └── → ZCode is a listed tool; follow official tool/zcode, not this handbook

Plan boundary

Item	Official wording (global Overview unless noted)
Models	All plans: GLM-5.3, GLM-5-Turbo, GLM-4.7. GLM-5.2 / GLM-5.1 requests route to GLM-5.3
Where it works	Only supported tools
Anthropic	https://api.z.ai/api/anthropic
OpenAI Chat Completions	https://api.z.ai/api/coding/paas/v4
OpenAI Responses	https://api.z.ai/api/v1
Individual credits	Lite 2,000 / 10,000; Pro 12,000 / 60,000; Max 28,000 / 140,000 (5-hour / weekly)
Peak hours	Monday–Friday 14:00–18:00 Singapore Time (UTC+8); off-peak model usage at 50% credits
General-purpose agents	Best-effort; may rate-limit under load
List price	Overview: “Starting at just 18 USD per month”. Current SKUs: z.ai/subscribe

Learning path

Stage	Read	Goal
1. Pick the door	This map	Do not open Z.ai chat or the general API
2. Subscribe and wire a tool	Tutorial	Helper or manual Claude Code / Cursor
3. Switch models, MCP, errors	Cookbook	GLM-5.3, vision / search MCP
4. Look up numbers	Cheatsheet	Endpoints, credits, commands
5. Untangle names	Glossary	Plan vs API vs chat

Feature index

Capability	One line	Official page
Overview	Models, credits, scope	overview
Quick Start	Subscribe, key, pick a tool	quick-start
Coding Tool Helper	npx @z_ai/coding-helper	coding-tool-helper
Supported tools	Coding Agent + general-purpose lists	tool/others
Vision / Search / Reader / Zread MCP	Plan-only MCP servers	vision
Usage policy	Account rules, refunds	usage-policy
FAQ	Subscription and usage	faq