SteadyGatewayLog in

GLM model access

GLM API

GLM API access for the exact glm-5.1 model ID is available through a production access review. Z.AI documents a 200K-token context window, 128K maximum output, text input and output, an OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions interface, and MIT-licensed public weights. GLM-5.2 followed it on 2026-06-16, so version pinning must be explicit.

Source: Z.AI GLM-5.1 documentation · verified 2026-08-18

What are the facts behind glm-5.1?

The dated record identifies glm-5.1 as a 2026-04-07 MIT-licensed open-weight release with a 200K-token context window, 128K-token maximum output, and an OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions interface.

FactValue and source
ProviderZ.AI API PlatformZ.AI GLM-5.1 documentation · verified 2026-08-18
LicenseMIT; model weights are publishedZ.AI GLM-5.1 license · verified 2026-08-18
Context window200K tokensZ.AI GLM-5.1 documentation · verified 2026-08-18
ModalitiesText input and text outputZ.AI GLM-5.1 documentation · verified 2026-08-18
Release2026-04-07Z.AI model release notes · verified 2026-08-18
API interfaceOpenAI-compatible Chat Completions with the exact model ID glm-5.1Z.AI GLM-5.1 documentation · verified 2026-08-18
Documented capabilitiesThinking modes, streaming output, function calling, context caching, structured output, and MCP integrationZ.AI GLM-5.1 documentation · verified 2026-08-18

Is glm-5.1 still the current GLM model?

No. Z.AI’s release ledger dates glm-5.1 to 2026-04-07 and glm-5.2 to 2026-06-16. The exact older ID remains a valid integration target when a team has evaluated it, pinned it, or needs to reproduce an existing result, but a new evaluation should compare the successor before treating glm-5.1 as the default.

This version position is the fact that changes the buying decision. A family name such as “GLM” does not say which context contract, output ceiling, tool behavior, or model revision has been approved. Put the exact ID in the workload scope and reopen the review when it changes.

Source A: Z.AI model release notes · captured 2026-08-18

What does the glm-5.1 API contract expose?

Z.AI documents an OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions request using the exact glm-5.1 model string. Its model page lists text input and output, a 200K-token context window, a 128K-token maximum output, multiple thinking modes, streaming, function calling, context caching, structured output, and MCP integration.

Those fields describe the upstream interface; they do not prove application compatibility. A production pilot should replay real conversations and tool traces, then record how the client preserves reasoning content, validates structured output, retries streams, handles tool errors, and behaves near its normal context size. The documented ceilings are boundary conditions, not workload targets.

Source A: Z.AI GLM-5.1 model and API documentation · captured 2026-08-18

What changes when glm-5.1 is open-weight?

Public weights create a deployment choice; they do not collapse API service and self-hosting into the same product. Z.AI publishes the official GLM-5.1 repository on Hugging Face with an MIT license, while its API documentation separately defines the hosted request interface.

For a buyer, the split assigns different owners. A hosted API evaluation covers credentials, quota, provider operations, request behavior, support, and contractual remedy. A self-hosted evaluation adds artifact custody, serving infrastructure, patching, capacity planning, monitoring, and incident response. The weights answer the licensing and deployment-possibility question; they do not answer who operates production.

Source A: Z.AI GLM-5.1 model repository and MIT license · captured 2026-08-18

What should an operator record before approving glm-5.1?

Record the exact model ID, evaluation date, upstream API surface, context assumptions, required capabilities, provider route, and the event that forces reevaluation. For this model, the trigger already exists: glm-5.2 arrived 70 days after glm-5.1, based on the two dates in Z.AI’s release ledger.

The short release interval is why we track version identity ahead of benchmark headlines. A benchmark can help select a candidate, but production ownership begins with a reproducible interface and a dated change rule. Our judgment is to keep glm-5.1 only when its exact behavior is part of the approved system; otherwise include the successor in the same pilot and make the migration decision from application evidence.

Source A: Z.AI model release notes · captured 2026-08-18

How does GLM API access work for production teams?

A glm api production scope starts with the exact model ID, region requirements and expected volume. SteadyGateway returns a written contract with the quota pool, version policy and support path defined before traffic moves.

Source A: Z.AI documents the exact glm-5.1 API model string · captured 2026-08-18

OpenAI-compatible request shape · endpoint set by contract

const client = new OpenAI({
  baseURL: process.env.STEADYGATEWAY_API_BASE_URL,
  apiKey: process.env.STEADYGATEWAY_API_KEY,
})

await client.chat.completions.create({
  model: 'glm-5.1',
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: '...' }],
})

Pin the model ID when reproducibility matters. We handle the upstream capacity and quota design around that choice, so a fixed version is a procurement decision rather than a surprise operating limit.

Where is glm-5.1 availability recorded?

The freshness board shows the release date, provider catalog state and verification date for this model. Open the row for the evidence behind the access conversation.

Last verified · 2026-08-18How we verify
ModelReleasedModel StudioAWS BedrockAzure AI Foundry
glm-5.12026-04-07Z.AI model release notes · 2026-08-18unverifiedunverifiedunverified

Every cell carries its source and verification date. Cells marked unverified are exactly that — we publish what we have checked, nothing more.

Open the glm-5.1 ledger row → · Read the benchmark method → · See how production pricing is scoped →

What do buyers ask about glm-5.1?

Buyers ask about exact-version access, the 200K context specification, the 128K output ceiling, the MIT weights, and the 2026-06-16 successor before approving glm-5.1.

How do I get GLM API access for glm-5.1?

Request production access with glm-5.1 named as the required model ID. The scope should also name region requirements, expected traffic, quota isolation, version policy, and whether the workload uses thinking, function calling, structured output, or MCP tools.

Is glm-5.1 still the latest GLM model?

No. Z.AI release notes date glm-5.1 to 2026-04-07 and glm-5.2 to 2026-06-16. Keep glm-5.1 only when the exact version is an evaluated dependency; evaluate glm-5.2 separately before changing production traffic.

What is the glm-5.1 context window?

Z.AI documents a 200K-token context window and a 128K-token maximum output. Those are provider specifications, not a promise that every request should use either ceiling.

Does glm-5.1 have an OpenAI-compatible API?

Yes. Z.AI documents an OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions endpoint and uses glm-5.1 as the exact model string in its examples. Production clients still need to test thinking content, tool calls, streaming, and error handling.

Are glm-5.1 weights publicly available?

Yes. Z.AI publishes the GLM-5.1 weights in its official Hugging Face repository under the MIT license. That makes the model open-weight; the API service and a self-hosted deployment remain different operating responsibilities.

Which glm-5.1 capabilities need a production pilot?

Pilot the capabilities your application will actually depend on. Z.AI documents thinking modes, streaming, function calling, context caching, structured output, and MCP integration; each adds request, state, or recovery behavior that should be checked before cutover.

What should a glm-5.1 production scope include?

Tell us the workload, region needs and model policy. We will come back with a written access plan.

Request production accesshello@steadygateway.com

99.9% availability commitment with tiered service credits · Reply within one business day · NDA available on request