What you will finish with
One Kimi Open Platform API key
The key uses the Moonshot international API service and its separate pay-as-you-go balance.
Before you start
Use the developer Open Platform.
- An email address or supported sign-in for a Kimi Open Platform developer account.
- A payment method supported by the international platform. Kimi currently requires a successful top-up of at least $1 to unlock K3 API access.
- Lakeview Lister installed so you can test the key as soon as it is created.
Kimi Open Platform, Kimi Code, and Kimi Membership are separate products. Their keys and balances are not interchangeable. Lakeview Lister needs an Open Platform API key.
Use platform.kimi.ai and the international API service. Kimi documents its mainland China and international platforms as separate regions.
Create the developer account
Open the Kimi API Console.
- Open Kimi Open Platform.
Go to the official Kimi API platform and select the Console or sign-in option.
- Create or sign in to the account.
Complete any email verification or terms acceptance required by the international developer platform.
- Confirm you are in the API Console.
The console should include API Keys, usage or fee details, and project controls. Do not continue from a Kimi chat membership page.
Prepare for API requests
Add an API balance and spending controls.
- Open the console’s fee or balance details.
Review the current Open Platform API balance. This is separate from any Kimi Membership or Kimi Code payment.
- Top up the account by at least $1.
Kimi’s Open Platform is pay-as-you-go, and K3 API access currently unlocks after a successful top-up of at least $1. Follow the payment options displayed for your international account.
- Set a project daily spending budget.
Start with a modest amount that matches your listing volume. Kimi documents project budgets as a way to control daily API spend.
- Turn on a balance alert.
Choose a threshold that gives you time to add funds before Lakeview Lister requests are interrupted.
A Kimi Membership payment or Kimi Code balance does not pay for Open Platform API calls. Verify the balance inside the API Console.
Kimi lists K3 at $3.00 per 1 million uncached input tokens, $0.30 per 1 million cached input tokens, and $15.00 per 1 million output tokens. Lakeview Lister estimates cost from the usage Kimi reports; your Kimi account remains the source of truth for charges. Review Kimi’s current pricing before funding the account.
Generate the credential
Create a dedicated Open Platform key.
- Open API Keys.
Go to the official Kimi Console API Keys page .
- Select Create API Key.
Name it Lakeview Lister so you can identify and replace it without disrupting another integration.
- Create and copy the complete secret.
Keep the API Keys page open until you have pasted the key into Lakeview Lister and completed Test Key.
Do not send it in email, chat, or a support screenshot. If it is exposed, revoke it in the Kimi Console and create a replacement.
Return to the app
Add, test, and save the key.
- Open your Profile.
Under Tools, select Profile, then expand AI Providers.
- Expand Kimi.
The provider card is named Kimi in Lakeview Lister.
- Paste the Open Platform key into Moonshot API Key.
Paste only the complete value, without quotation marks or spaces before or after it.
- Select Test Key.
Wait for Lakeview Lister to confirm that Kimi accepted the credential.
- Choose Kimi under Active AI Provider if it should be your default for runs.
This choice is separate from saving the key. You can keep keys saved for other providers without making them the default.
- Select Save Profile.
Lakeview Lister saves the credential securely on your computer.
Lakeview Lister currently uses Kimi K3 and supplies the model and international API connection settings. The model shown below the field is informational; you do not enter a model or URL.
Test Key succeeds and, after you save the profile, the Kimi card shows Key saved or Selected when it is the default provider for runs.
Troubleshooting
Check product, region, balance, and key.
Kimi rejects the key or reports unauthorized.
Confirm it was created on platform.kimi.ai in the Open Platform API Console—not in Kimi Code or another Kimi product. Recopy it without spaces.
The account is paid but Lakeview Lister reports insufficient balance.
Check the Open Platform API balance. Kimi Membership and Kimi Code balances cannot pay for Open Platform API calls.
Lakeview Lister reports a model error.
Confirm the key came from the international Kimi Open Platform at platform.kimi.ai and that the account completed the minimum $1 top-up required to unlock K3. Lakeview Lister supplies the kimi-k3 model and service URL automatically; there is no model or URL field to change.
The API returns 429.
Review the error details and console status. The cause may be rate limiting, a reached project spending budget, or insufficient balance.
The key may have been exposed.
Revoke it immediately in the Kimi Console, create a replacement, and update Lakeview Lister.
Official references
Kimi documentation used for this guide
- Kimi API overview
- Kimi API quick start and product separation
- Kimi K3 model selection and capabilities
- Kimi K3 API pricing
- API balance and usage controls
- Kimi API troubleshooting and regions
- Kimi Console API Keys
Kimi can change Console labels, regional availability, and payment methods. If the portal differs from this page, follow Kimi’s current instructions and contact Lakeview Lister support without sharing your key.