docs/cli-agents/qwen-code.mdx

---
title: "Qwen Code"
description: "Use Alibaba's Qwen Code with Bifrost for AI-powered coding with any provider, virtual keys, and observability."
icon: "q"
---

[Qwen Code](https://github.com/QwenLM/qwen-code) is Alibaba's powerful coding assistant with advanced reasoning capabilities. By connecting it to Bifrost, you get access to any provider/model in your Bifrost configuration, plus governance features like virtual keys and built-in observability.

<Note>
If your Allowed Headers are already set to `*`, you can skip this note. If not and you face issues integrating Bifrost with Qwen Code, try switching to `*` or adding the specific headers required by your client. By default, Bifrost whitelists: `Content-Type`, `Authorization`, `X-Requested-With`, `X-Stainless-Timeout`, and `X-Api-Key`.
</Note>

## Setup

### 1. Install Qwen Code

```bash
npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code
```

### 2. Configure Bifrost as a Model Provider

Qwen Code uses `~/.qwen/settings.json` to configure model providers. Add Bifrost as an OpenAI-compatible provider:

```json
{
  "modelProviders": {
    "openai": [
      {
        "id": "openai/gpt-5",
        "name": "GPT-5 (via Bifrost)",
        "baseUrl": "http://localhost:8080/openai",
        "envKey": "OPENAI_API_KEY"
      },
      {
        "id": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929",
        "name": "Claude Sonnet 4.5 (via Bifrost)",
        "baseUrl": "http://localhost:8080/openai",
        "envKey": "OPENAI_API_KEY"
      }
    ]
  },
  "security": {
    "auth": {
      "selectedType": "openai"
    }
  },
  "model": {
    "name": "openai/gpt-5"
  }
}
```

### 3. Set Your API Key

Set the `OPENAI_API_KEY` environment variable to your Bifrost virtual key or provider API key:

```bash
export OPENAI_API_KEY=your-bifrost-virtual-key
```

Alternatively, use a `.env` file in `~/.qwen/.env`:

```
OPENAI_API_KEY=your-bifrost-virtual-key
```

### 4. Run Qwen Code

```bash
qwen
```

<Tip>
You can also use environment variables for a minimal setup. Set `OPENAI_BASE_URL` and `OPENAI_API_KEY`, then run `qwen`. Note: some Qwen Code versions prioritize `settings.json` over env vars — use `settings.json` for reliable configuration.
</Tip>

## Virtual Keys

When Bifrost has [virtual key authentication](/features/governance/virtual-keys) enabled, set `OPENAI_API_KEY` to your virtual key. This lets you enforce usage limits, budgets, and access control per user or environment.

For team deployments, create a separate virtual key for each team — each key can have its own rate limits, budgets, and provider access rules configured in the Bifrost dashboard.

## Model Selection

Use the `/model` command to switch between models at runtime. All models configured in your `modelProviders` appear in the picker.

```bash
# Launch with a specific model
qwen --model "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929"
```

- Use powerful models like `openai/gpt-5` or `anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929` for complex coding tasks
- Use fast models like `groq/llama-3.3-70b-versatile` for quick completions

## Using Multiple Providers

Bifrost routes requests to the correct provider based on the model name. Use the `provider/model-name` format in your `modelProviders` config to access any configured provider through the single OpenAI endpoint:

```
anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929
openai/gpt-5
gemini/gemini-2.5-pro
mistral/mistral-large-latest
```

Add multiple models to your `modelProviders.openai` array — they all use the same Bifrost `baseUrl` and `envKey`.

### Supported Providers

Bifrost supports the following providers with the `provider/model-name` format:

`openai`, `azure`, `gemini`, `vertex`, `bedrock`, `mistral`, `groq`, `cerebras`, `cohere`, `perplexity`, `xai`, `ollama`, `openrouter`, `huggingface`, `nebius`, `parasail`, `replicate`, `vllm`, `sgl`

<Warning>
Non-native models **must support tool use** for Qwen Code to work properly. Qwen Code relies on tool calling for file operations, terminal commands, and code editing. Models without tool use support will fail on most operations.
</Warning>

<Note>
Qwen Code connects to Bifrost via a single OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Bifrost handles routing to the correct provider based on the model name — no per-provider configuration needed.
</Note>

## Observability

All Qwen Code traffic through Bifrost is logged. Monitor it at `http://localhost:8080/logs` — filter by provider, model, or search through conversation content to track usage.

## Next Steps

- [Provider Configuration](/quickstart/gateway/provider-configuration) — Configure AI providers in Bifrost
- [Virtual Keys](/features/governance/virtual-keys) — Set up usage limits and access control