Use OpenAI in Kilo Code

Steps

1. 1
   Step 1.

   Create a key on the OpenAI Platform API keys page (https://platform.openai.com/api-keys) and copy it immediately.

2. 2
   Step 2.

   VS Code: open Settings (gear icon), go to the Providers tab, add OpenAI and enter your API key. The extension stores this in your kilo.json config file.

3. 3
   Step 3.

   CLI: set the API key as an environment variable.

   Terminal

   Copy

   export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-api-key"

4. 4
   Step 4.

   Or configure it in your config file (~/.config/kilo/kilo.json or ./kilo.json).

   JSON

   Copy

   {
     "provider": {
       "openai": {
         "env": ["OPENAI_API_KEY"],
       },
     },
   }

5. 5
   Step 5.

   Then set your default model. Kilo's docs example uses openai/gpt-4.1; substitute a current OpenAI model id in the same provider/model format.

   JSON

   Copy

   {
     "model": "openai/gpt-4.1",
   }