Skip to main content

​
Overview

The CLI Proxy (CLIProxyAPI) is the backend server that manages authentication and routes API requests to AI providers. ZeroLimit provides a comprehensive interface to manage the proxy lifecycle, configuration, and updates.

​
Server Status

Check the current proxy status from the Settings page:
  • Running (green indicator) - Server is active and accepting requests
  • Stopped (gray text) - Server is not running
You must be logged in to see server status and management controls.

​
Starting the Proxy

1

Navigate to Settings

Click Settings in the main navigation.
2

Verify executable path

In the CLI Proxy Server section, confirm that the Executable Path shows the correct path to your cli-proxy-api.exe or cli-proxy-api-plus.exe.If the path is missing or incorrect:
  1. Click Browse
  2. Navigate to your CLI Proxy installation folder
  3. Select the executable file
3

Start the server

Click the Start button with the play icon.The server will start in the background, and the status will change to “Running” with a green checkmark.
4

Verify connection

Once running, the Dashboard should show “System Status: Operational” indicating successful connection.
Enable Auto-start on launch in Settings to automatically start the proxy when ZeroLimit opens.

​
Stopping the Proxy

1

Navigate to Settings

Go to the Settings page.
2

Stop the server

In the CLI Proxy Server section, click the Stop button with the square icon.The server will shut down gracefully, and the status will change to “Stopped”.
Stopping the proxy will disconnect ZeroLimit and make all provider APIs unavailable until restarted.

​
Configuring the Proxy

​
Auto-start on Launch

Automatically start the proxy when ZeroLimit opens:
  1. Go to Settings page
  2. Find Auto-start on launch toggle
  3. Enable the toggle
  4. Proxy will start automatically on next app launch
When to use:
  • You use ZeroLimit regularly
  • You want seamless startup experience
  • You have a local proxy installation

​
Run in Background

Keep the proxy running when ZeroLimit window is closed:
  1. Go to Settings page
  2. Find Run in background toggle
  3. Enable the toggle
  4. Close ZeroLimit - the app minimizes to system tray
  5. Proxy continues running
System tray behavior:
  • App icon appears in system tray
  • Click icon to restore window
  • Right-click icon for menu:
    • Open - Restore window
    • Quit - Stop proxy and exit completely
When to use:
  • You want the proxy available continuously
  • You use other tools that connect to the proxy
  • You don’t want to restart the proxy frequently

​
Executable Path

Change the CLI Proxy executable location:
  1. Go to Settings page
  2. Click Browse next to Executable Path
  3. Navigate to the new location
  4. Select the executable file (cli-proxy-api.exe or cli-proxy-api-plus.exe)
  5. Path is saved automatically
If the proxy is running when you change the path, you’ll need to restart it for the change to take effect.

​
Updating the Proxy

​
Check for Updates

Manually check if a newer version is available:
1

Navigate to Settings

Go to the Settings page and locate the Version section under CLI Proxy Server.
2

Check for updates

Click Check for Update.ZeroLimit will:
  • Query GitHub for the latest release
  • Compare with your installed version
  • Display “Update available” if a newer version exists
  • Show “Already on the latest version” if current

​
Update to Latest Version

When an update is available:
1

Click Update Now

When the version section shows a green arrow pointing to the new version, click Update Now.
2

Wait for download

ZeroLimit will:
  1. Stop the current proxy server
  2. Download the latest release from GitHub
  3. Extract the new executable
  4. Replace the old version
  5. Restart the proxy automatically
Progress is shown with a loading spinner.
3

Verify update

After completion:
  • Version number updates to the new version
  • Server status shows “Running”
  • Toast notification confirms success
During the update process, the proxy is stopped and API requests will fail. Plan updates during low-activity periods.

​
Automatic Update Detection

ZeroLimit automatically checks for updates when:
  • You click “Check for Update”
  • The app starts (if enabled in preferences)
The version section shows:
  • Current version - Your installed version with build date
  • Latest version - Newest available version (if different)
  • Green arrow - Indicates update available

​
Switching Between Standard and Plus

CLIProxyAPI comes in two versions:
  • Standard - Core providers (Antigravity, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini)
  • Plus - All providers including Kiro and GitHub Copilot

​
Switch to Plus

If you’re using Standard and want Plus features:
1

Navigate to Settings

Go to the Settings page.
2

Click Switch to Plus

In the Switch Version section, click Switch to Plus.
3

Wait for download

ZeroLimit will:
  1. Stop the current proxy
  2. Download CLIProxyAPI Plus from GitHub
  3. Extract to the same directory
  4. Update the executable path
  5. Restart the proxy
4

Verify switch

After completion:
  • Executable path shows cli-proxy-api-plus.exe
  • “Currently using Plus version” displays
  • Plus-only providers (Kiro, Copilot) are now available in Providers page

​
Switch to Standard

If you’re using Plus and want to downgrade:
1

Click Switch to Standard

In Settings > Switch Version, click Switch to Standard.
2

Wait for download

Same process as switching to Plus, but downloads the Standard version instead.
Switching versions removes access to Plus-only providers. Existing Kiro and Copilot accounts will not be accessible until you switch back to Plus.

​
Remote Server Configuration

If you’re using a remote CLI Proxy server instead of a local installation:

​
Connecting to Remote Server

1

Skip onboarding or logout

If you completed onboarding with local setup, logout first from Settings.
2

Enter remote details

On the login screen:
  • API Base URL: https://your-domain.com or https://your-domain.com:8317
  • Management Key: The secret-key value from server’s config.yaml
  • Enable Remember credentials to stay logged in
3

Click Login

ZeroLimit will connect to the remote server and verify credentials.
For remote servers, the Start/Stop controls are hidden since you don’t manage the server lifecycle.

​
Remote Server Features

When connected remotely:
  • ✅ All provider management works normally
  • ✅ Quota monitoring is available
  • ✅ Dashboard statistics work (if enabled on server)
  • ✅ Settings can be viewed (server-side config)
  • ❌ Cannot start/stop the server
  • ❌ Cannot update the server version
  • ❌ Cannot switch between Standard/Plus

​
Configuration File (config.yaml)

The CLI Proxy server is configured via config.yaml in the installation directory.

​
Key Settings

Authentication 
secret-key: your-management-key-here
This is your Management Key for logging into ZeroLimit. Server Port 
port: 8317
The port the server listens on (default: 8317). Usage Statistics 
usage-statistics-enabled: true
Enables/disables usage tracking for Dashboard statistics. Logging 
logging-to-file: false
Enables/disables writing logs to a file.

​
Editing Configuration

You can edit some settings directly from ZeroLimit: Usage Statistics
  1. Go to Settings page
  2. Find Usage Statistics card
  3. Toggle Enabled on/off
  4. Change is applied immediately (no restart required)
Logging to File
  1. Go to Settings page
  2. Find Logging card
  3. Toggle Enabled on/off
  4. Change is applied immediately
For advanced configuration changes, edit config.yaml manually with a text editor, then restart the proxy.

​
Troubleshooting

​
Proxy won’t start

Problem: Clicking Start does nothing or shows an error. Solution:
  1. Verify the executable path is correct
  2. Check if another instance is already running:
    • Open Task Manager (Windows)
    • Look for cli-proxy-api.exe or cli-proxy-api-plus.exe
    • End the process if found
  3. Try running the executable directly to see error messages
  4. Check Windows Firewall isn’t blocking the executable
  5. Run as Administrator if permission errors occur

​
Port already in use

Problem: Server fails to start with port conflict error. Solution:
  1. Open config.yaml in the CLI Proxy directory
  2. Change port: 8317 to a different port (e.g., 8318)
  3. Save the file
  4. Start the proxy
  5. Update API Base URL in ZeroLimit login: http://localhost:8318

​
Cannot connect after starting

Problem: Server shows “Running” but ZeroLimit shows disconnected. Solution:
  1. Check the proxy is actually running:
    • Open browser to http://localhost:8317
    • Should see: {"message": "CLI Proxy API Server"}
  2. Verify API Base URL in login matches server address
  3. Check Windows Firewall isn’t blocking connections
  4. Try logging out and logging back in
  5. Restart the proxy from Settings

​
Update failed

Problem: Update process shows an error. Solution:
  1. Check your internet connection
  2. Verify you can access github.com
  3. Check if Windows Defender or antivirus blocked the download
  4. Try updating manually:
    • Download from CLIProxyAPI Releases
    • Extract to your installation folder
    • Replace the old executable
    • Restart ZeroLimit

​
Version switch stuck

Problem: Switching between Standard/Plus freezes or fails. Solution:
  1. Force-stop the proxy:
    • Open Task Manager
    • End cli-proxy-api.exe process
  2. Wait 10 seconds
  3. Try the switch again
  4. If still stuck, manually download and install:
  5. Update executable path in Settings

​
Auto-start doesn’t work

Problem: Proxy doesn’t start when ZeroLimit launches. Solution:
  1. Verify Auto-start on launch is enabled in Settings
  2. Check that Executable Path is valid
  3. Try starting manually to see if there’s an error
  4. Disable and re-enable Auto-start
  5. Check antivirus isn’t blocking startup

​
Next Steps

Add Accounts

Connect provider accounts now that your proxy is running

Troubleshooting

Solutions for common proxy and connection issues

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us