Kilo Code in Russia: API Setup and First Request
Install Kilo Code, connect BetterToken through its OpenAI-compatible provider, and verify the first request in the Dashboard.
Kilo Code can connect through its built-in OpenAI Compatible provider. You need a current extension, your own API Key, a Base URL, and the current Model ID. Restart the extension after setup, send a short request, then check the model, status, and Token usage in the Dashboard.
If you have not chosen a tool yet, compare the jobs first: Claude Cowork, Chat, and Claude Code handle different kinds of work. For editor-based work, also see the guide to connecting Claude Code to VS Code. Kilo Code is a coding extension with project access and a configurable API provider.
Ready to test the setup? Create a BetterToken account and API Key, then keep the current Kilo Code instructions open. This article leaves the Model ID as a placeholder because available models and groups can change.
What to prepare
- installed VS Code;
- current Kilo Code extension from the official source;
- own API Key BetterToken;
- current Model ID from model catalog;
- an empty or test directory where it is safe to execute the first request.
BetterToken is responsible for the Endpoint API. Availability of the Kilo Code website, VS Code Marketplace, downloads and updates depends on third party services. No VPN is required to connect to BetterToken API Endpoint from Russia; This is not a promise of availability on Marketplace or other sites.
1. Install Kilo Code
Open Extensions in VS Code, search for Kilo Code and install the extension from the official card. If the Marketplace is not available, use only the alternative provided in the current Kilo Code documentation. Do not download VSIX from unofficial mirrors.
If you are comparing the installation of different coding agents, use separate instructions for Claude Code and Codex CLI on Windows, macOS and Linux: they have different interfaces, authorization and provider connection method.
After installation, open the Kilo Code panel. If the panel does not appear, run Developer: Reload Window via the Command Palette.
2. Create an API Key
Login to your BetterToken Workspace and create a separate Key for the test. Do not paste it into a prompt, issue, screenshot, or repository file. In the Kilo Code interface, the key is stored as the credential of the selected provider.
Before setting up, check if there are any old OPENAI_API_KEY and OPENAI_BASE_URL from another service in your environment. Do not log their values. If a variable conflicts with a Kilo Code setting, remove it only from the profile or shell file where it was intentionally set.
3. Add OpenAI-compatible provider
Open the Kilo Code settings UI and fill in four fields:
- API Provider:
OpenAI Compatible. - Base URL:
https://www.bettertoken.ai/v1. - API Key: your own BetterToken API Key.
- Model: exact current Model ID from the BetterToken model catalog.
Do not add /chat/completions or /responses to the Base URL: Kilo Code generates the request path itself. Extra headers are not needed for the basic BetterToken setup; add them only when directly required by the documentation of a specific upstream service.
Save your settings and completely restart VS Code or reload the extension.
4. Execute the first request
Open an empty test directory and submit a request without access to important files:
Such a test is easier to check than a general “write some code” request. Successful connection is confirmed by four signs:
- Kilo Code returned valid JSON;
- the extension used the selected Model ID;
- the BetterToken Dashboard shows an entry with a successful status;
- the entry shows input, output, applicable cache Tokens, and the corresponding charge.
Use the Dashboard for request metadata and Token usage. It does not store the full prompt or response text.
Frequent errors
401 or Unauthorized
Re-copy the API Key from your Workspace and remove any stray spaces. Make sure that the field contains the BetterToken Key and not the key of another service. Do not transfer the secret to the configuration file for diagnostic purposes.
404
Check Base URL:
If the field contains /chat/completions, /responses, or another full path, return only the Base URL and restart the extension.
model not found
Copy the exact Model ID from the current catalog. A model name in an article, old screenshot, or someone else's configuration may not match the current identifier.
Settings not applied
Save the provider, run Developer: Reload Window, and open a new Kilo Code session. Then check for old OPENAI_API_KEY and OPENAI_BASE_URL variables without printing their values to a public log.
Where is the support boundary?
This scheme tests the model API through the OpenAI-compatible provider. It does not endorse the availability of all Kilo Code features, third party Marketplaces, accounts, MCP servers, or updates. If the first short request passes, but a separate extension function fails, diagnose it as a separate layer.
If the problem is not with the extension setup, but with access and payment, first sort out subscription, API and Claude Code limits. To select a common API route between two coding tools, there is a separate comparison of connecting Claude Code and Codex in Russia.
To reconfigure, use Kilo Code page in BetterToken Docs: there are current fields, Base URL and provider restrictions.