Setup guide - Documented by Ollama
Use Ollama in Cline
Cline has a native Ollama API provider in its settings, and the Cline CLI can be configured with ollama launch cline or cline auth.
Last verified 8 steps4 official sources
Steps
- Step 1.
IDE extension: open Cline settings > API Configuration and set API Provider to Ollama.
- Step 2.
Select a model under Model or type one (e.g. qwen3).
- Step 3.
Update the context window to at least 32K tokens under Context Window.
- Step 4.
ollama.com cloud: create an API key at https://ollama.com/settings/keys, click Use custom base URL and set it to https://ollama.com, enter your Ollama API Key, then select a model from the list.
- Step 5.
Cline CLI: install it.
Terminalnpm install -g cline - Step 6.
Cline CLI quick setup (sets provider to Ollama, points at the local endpoint, selects your model).
Terminalollama launch cline - Step 7.
Run directly with a local or cloud model.
Terminalollama launch cline --model qwen3.5 ollama launch cline --model kimi-k2.6:cloud - Step 8.
Cline CLI manual setup: pull a model, run Cline's auth flow, select Ollama, use
http://localhost:11434as the base URL if prompted, then start a session.Terminalollama pull qwen3.5 cline auth cline config cline
Caveats
- Steps come from Ollama's Cline and Cline CLI integration pages; Cline's own docs site could not be fetched today.
- Ollama recommends a context window of at least 32K tokens for coding.
- For ollama.com, choose a cloud model that supports tool calling.
More setup guides
Same tool, other providers
Related reading
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- Ollama 0.40 on Mac: MLX by Default, Disk Space DoubledOllama 0.40 runs supported models on MLX on Apple Silicon and keeps a backup copy of each model you load. What it costs in disk, what is fixed, and the cleanup.
- GitHub Copilot CLI With Ollama: Local Models and the New SandboxCopilot CLI 1.0.94 finds local Ollama models from /model and ships an OS-level sandbox. Setup, the 4k context trap, and why local is not offline.
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- What Is OpenClaw? Setup, Skills, MCP Server, Claude Code, and Ollama (2026 Guide)What is OpenClaw? A self-hosted personal AI agent you reach through chat apps. Install, skills and ClawHub, its MCP server, Claude Code use, and Ollama models.
- GitHub Copilot for JetBrains Gains Persistent Memory and Ollama BYOKGitHub Copilot for JetBrains adds memory across chat sessions, Ollama as a BYOK provider, and enterprise settings for MCP access. What each feature does.
FAQ
How do I use Ollama in Cline?
Cline has a native Ollama API provider in its settings, and the Cline CLI can be configured with ollama launch cline or cline auth.
Which Ollama model ids work in Cline?
The official docs read for this guide list qwen3, qwen3.5 and kimi-k2.6:cloud. Requests go to http://localhost:11434.
Is this an official Ollama and Cline setup?
Ollama documents this setup in its own docs. It was last checked against 4 official pages on October 17, 2026.
Sources
Last verified against 4 official pages.
- docs.ollama.comhttps://docs.ollama.com/integrations/cline
- docs.ollama.comhttps://docs.ollama.com/integrations/cline-cli
- raw.githubusercontent.comhttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/ollama/ollama/main/docs/integrations/cline.mdx
- raw.githubusercontent.comhttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/ollama/ollama/main/docs/integrations/cline-cli.mdx
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