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ZCode

Add NoviaHub as a custom provider in Z.ai's ZCode desktop app.

ZCode is a desktop app from Z.ai, which calls it an “Agentic Development Environment (ADE)” designed for long-horizon tasks. It can add any model service compatible with the Anthropic / OpenAI protocols as a custom provider, which is how NoviaHub connects.

Download the package for your system from the official install page. ZCode supports macOS (Apple Silicon / Intel), Windows (x64 / ARM64) and Linux (x64, ARM64; AppImage, DEB or RPM).

  • macOS: open the downloaded ZCode.dmg and drag ZCode into the Applications folder.
  • Windows: run the downloaded installer and follow the wizard.
  • Linux: make an AppImage executable first with chmod +x ZCode-*.AppImage; install a .deb or .rpm with your distribution’s package manager.
  1. Open the Model Settings panel. In ZCode, click the model name in the chat box to open the model selector, then click Manage models at the bottom of the list. This opens the Settings → Model Settings panel.

  2. Click Add provider at the bottom of the provider list on the left.

  3. Fill in:

    Field Value
    Name NoviaHub (any name you like)
    Base URL https://noviahub.com/v1
    API format Chat completions (/chat/completions)
    API key Your NoviaHub key (starts with sk-)
  4. Click Add model and enter the model ID you want to use, for example deepseek-v4-flash. The model ID must match the one on NoviaHub exactly. You can add several. ZCode needs at least one model before it adds the provider (the app says “Add at least one model before adding the provider.”).

  5. Turn on the provider’s enable switch and it’s ready to use.

Calling Claude models over Anthropic Messages (optional)

Section titled “Calling Claude models over Anthropic Messages (optional)”

The Chat completions format can call Claude models too, but the request goes through protocol conversion and some features are lost; see Protocol conversion. To send Claude models over Anthropic Messages, add a second provider:

Field Value
Name NoviaHub Claude (any name you like)
Base URL https://noviahub.com (no /v1; ZCode adds it)
API format Anthropic messages (/v1/messages)
API key The same NoviaHub key
Model For example claude-sonnet-5

This only works for models whose details show the Anthropic endpoint label. Likewise, models with the Response label can use the Responses (/responses) format, again with the Base URL https://noviahub.com/v1.

  1. Pick a model under NoviaHub in the model selector in the chat box.

  2. Send a short test instruction, such as “Introduce yourself in one sentence.” Once the model responds reliably, you’re set.

  3. Check the call and its cost under Usage Logs in the NoviaHub console.

  • Switch models in the model selector in the chat box.
  • To add more, go back to Settings → Model Settings and click Add model under the NoviaHub provider.
  • For a provider in Chat completions format, pick models that carry the Chat label under Models & Pricing; every model on the site carried it on 2026-09-28. A provider in Anthropic messages format only takes models with the Anthropic label.
  • The context window is editable. Under Settings → Model Providers, open a model and expand Advanced to change a custom-provider model’s context window; the new value applies to new sessions after saving. The same panel sets Max output tokens (the length limit for a single reply), which ZCode recommends leaving empty in almost all cases.
  • No custom request parameters yet. You can’t add extra request parameters for third-party models.
  • Image input. For a custom model, ZCode’s image-support check may come out as Unknown. Then it doesn’t block the image; the model service decides, and the request may fail. Confirm the model accepts images (see Input types on its page) before sending them.
  • Proxy. By default ZCode does not read the system HTTP_PROXY / HTTPS_PROXY variables; the HTTP proxy set in Settings is what counts. Restart ZCode after changing the proxy.

Checked on 2026-09-28 and 2026-09-29: