git:20260816.21ed22e to git:20260902.4a35d69

---

name: glm-delegation

description: Delegates tasks to Z.ai GLM-5.x via the stock claude binary and an endpoint swap. Use when delegation-core selects GLM or a 1M-token context is needed.

alwaysApply: false

category: delegation-implementation

tags:

- glm

- zai

- endpoint-swap

- delegation

- large-context

dependencies:

- delegation-core

tools:

- claude

- delegation_executor.py

usage_patterns:

- endpoint-swap-integration

- large-context-analysis

- coding-plan-routing

complexity: intermediate

model_hint: standard

estimated_tokens: 650

references:

- delegation-core/shared-shell-execution.md

---

# GLM Delegation

## Overview

GLM ships no CLI of its own. Z.ai serves an Anthropic-compatible

endpoint, so the stock `claude` binary reaches GLM by changing two

environment variables and nothing else. This is the endpoint-swap

archetype: the redirection is environment, never argv.

GLM-5.3 was released on 2026-08-14 and claims a large coding gain over

GLM-5.2 from post-training alone.

## When To Use

- `delegation-core` selected `glm` for the task

- A 1M-token context is wanted through `glm-5.3[1m]`

- A GLM Coding Plan subscription should absorb the work instead of the

Anthropic quota

## When NOT To Use

- `ZAI_API_KEY` is unset. Verification refuses rather than sending an

unauthenticated request

- The `claude` binary is not installed. GLM has no fallback CLI

- A pinned GLM-5.3 identifier is required in a script that must not

break: see the rollout note below

## Prerequisites

### Installation

Only the stock Claude Code binary is needed:

```bash

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

```

### Authentication

```bash

export ZAI_API_KEY="<your-zai-key>"

```

The delegation service builds the child environment from that one

variable. Z.ai requires `ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN`, not

`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`. Putting the key in the wrong one is the most

common way to get a 401 here, so the service names the correct

variable and the overlay references `${ZAI_API_KEY}` rather than

storing a secret.

## Quick Start

### Using the shared delegation executor

```bash

uv run python scripts/delegation_executor.py glm "Review this design" \

--files docs/

```

### Through the Makefile

```bash

make -C plugins/conjure delegate-glm PROMPT='Review this design'

```

### Direct CLI usage

```bash

ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://api.z.ai/api/anthropic \

ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN="$ZAI_API_KEY" \

claude --model glm-5.3 -p "Review this design"

```

## Smart Delegation

`glm` declares `code_execution` and `large_context` strengths and ranks

behind gemini, qwen and minimax in the candidate order. It declares

`glm-5.3` as its default, `glm-5.3[1m]` for large context, and

`glm-4.7` for fast response.

## GLM-Specific Details

| Property | Value |

|----------|-------|

| Binary | `claude` (stock) |

| Base URL | `https://api.z.ai/api/anthropic` |

| Auth variable | `ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN`, from `ZAI_API_KEY` |

| Default model | `glm-5.3` |

| Large context | `glm-5.3[1m]` |

| OpenAI-compatible URL | `https://api.z.ai/api/coding/paas/v4` |

The `[1m]` suffix is what unlocks the 1M-token window. Omitting it is

a documented setup mistake. Pair it with

`CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW=1000000` when driving `claude`

directly.

Two operational notes. Environment changes only take effect in a

freshly launched shell, so an already-open session keeps reaching

Anthropic's real endpoint. And `claude` shows a first-run trust prompt

when it sees a non-Anthropic base URL. The `-p` non-interactive form

this service uses does not block on it.

Rollout caveat: at the time of writing, `docs.z.ai/devpack/latest-model`

documented `glm-5.3` while `docs.z.ai/guides/llm/glm-5.3` still read

"coming soon" and the base connection page still showed `glm-5.2`.

`GLM_52` stays defined for that reason, and `glm-4.7` remains the

fast-response id rather than being promoted on assumption.

The same archetype generalizes: MiniMax, Moonshot/Kimi, DeepSeek and

OpenRouter all expose Anthropic-compatible endpoints, so adding one is

a `ServiceConfig` with a different base URL.

## Exit Criteria

- [ ] `claude` resolves on PATH and answers `claude --version`

- [ ] `ZAI_API_KEY` is set, and `--verify` reports the service

available rather than naming an unset variable

- [ ] The built command contains no `z.ai` URL: the endpoint travels in

the child environment, not argv

- [ ] The child environment carries `ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN`, not

`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`

- [ ] Output saved to `delegations/glm/YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.md`

- [ ] This skill ran because `delegation-core` selected `glm`