How I Setup Kimi Code in Zed

I've been using Zed as my primary editor for a while now, and one of the things I love about it is its flexibility in integrating external tools. Recently, I set up Kimi Code — a powerful AI coding assistant — directly within Zed. Here's how I did it and why you might want to do the same.

What is Kimi Code?

Kimi Code is an open-source AI coding assistant CLI developed by Moonshot AI. It brings intelligent code completion, refactoring suggestions, and natural language programming capabilities right to your terminal. Think of it as your pair programmer that understands context and can help you write better code faster.

Why Integrate it with Zed?

Zed has excellent support for external commands and terminal integration. By setting up Kimi Code in Zed, you get:

Context-aware assistance: Kimi Code can read your current file and provide relevant suggestions
Seamless workflow: No need to switch between your editor and terminal
Keyboard-driven: Everything stays within your editor's keybindings

Prerequisites

Before we start, make sure you have:

Zed installed
uv installed (for running Kimi Code)
A Moonshot AI API key (get one from the Moonshot AI console)

Step 1: Install Kimi Code CLI

Install Kimi Code using uv:

uv tool install kimi-code-cli

Or with pip:

pip install kimi-code-cli

Step 2: Configure Your API Key

Set your Moonshot AI API key as an environment variable:

export MOONSHOT_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"

To make this permanent, add it to your shell configuration file (~/.zshrc, ~/.bashrc, etc.).

Step 3: Set Up the Slash Command in Zed

Zed allows you to define custom slash commands. Let's create one for Kimi Code.

Open Zed's settings (Cmd/Ctrl + ,) and add the following to your settings.json:

{
  "assistant": {
    "default_model": {
      "provider": "moonshot",
      "model": "kimi-latest"
    }
  },
  "terminal": {
    "shell": "system"
  }
}

Step 4: Create a Custom Keybinding

To make it even faster, let's add a keybinding to trigger Kimi Code. Open Zed's keymap settings (Cmd/Ctrl + K, then Cmd/Ctrl + S) and add:

[
  {
    "context": "Editor",
    "bindings": {
      "ctrl-k ctrl-i": "assistant::InlineAssist"
    }
  }
]

Step 5: Using Kimi Code in Zed

Now that everything is set up, here's how to use it:

Method 1: Terminal Panel

Open the terminal panel with Ctrl + `
Type kimi followed by your question or command
Kimi will analyze your codebase and respond

Method 2: Inline Assistance

Select some code in your editor
Use your custom keybinding (Ctrl + K Ctrl + I)
Type what you want Kimi to do with the selected code

Method 3: Command Palette

Open the command palette (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P)
Search for "assistant" commands
Select the appropriate action

My Workflow

Here's how I typically use Kimi Code in my daily workflow:

Code Review: Before committing, I ask Kimi to review my changes:

kimi review this code for potential bugs and improvements

Refactoring: When I need to clean up messy code:

kimi refactor this to use more idiomatic patterns

Documentation: Writing docstrings and comments:

kimi add comprehensive documentation to this function

Debugging: When stuck on an error:

kimi explain this error and suggest fixes

Tips for Best Results

Be specific: The more context you provide, the better the suggestions
Use file references: Kimi can read files, so mention specific files when relevant
Iterate: Don't expect perfect results on the first try — refine your prompts
Review changes: Always review AI-generated code before committing

Troubleshooting

Kimi not responding? Check that your MOONSHOT_API_KEY is set correctly.

Slow responses? Large files might take longer to process. Try selecting specific sections instead of entire files.

Context issues? Make sure you're running Kimi from the correct project directory.

Conclusion

Integrating Kimi Code into Zed has significantly improved my productivity. The combination of Zed's speed and Kimi Code's intelligence creates a powerful development environment. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you!

Happy coding! 🚀

*How I Setup Kimi Code in Zed