Add the thirds.ai MCP server to Kimi Code

You add the thirds.ai MCP server to Kimi Code CLI with one entry in mcp.json and an API key kept in an environment variable. With thirds.ai, you save a design once, such as a certificate, a product label, or a sale image, with your logo, colours, and fonts. Then you type in new details and get a finished PDF or image. Once Kimi Code has the server, you can ask Kimi for those files from your terminal, so you don't lay out each one by hand. Each successful PDF or image costs one credit, and a verified account gets 50 free credits each month, as the credits and billing page says.

This page covers Kimi Code CLI, the coding agent from Moonshot AI that runs in your terminal. It doesn't cover the Kimi chat app. See the Kimi Code image examples for designs and prompts to try after setup.

Make it without code

You can make the same branded files in the thirds.ai editor without Kimi Code or any code. It takes three steps, and you need a free thirds.ai account.

1. Open the Course completion certificate template and click Use this template. Sign in and verify your account first if you need to.
2. Open the Data tab and type the learner's name, the course, the date, and your school name. Click Preview with data above the canvas to see the certificate. The preview is free.
3. Click Export, then Save and export PDF, and click Download PDF.

When you want Kimi Code to make the next certificate for each learner, add the thirds.ai MCP server to Kimi Code.

Add the thirds.ai MCP server to Kimi Code

You add the thirds.ai MCP server to Kimi Code in three steps: create a key, store it in an environment variable, and add one server entry to mcp.json. You need a thirds.ai account and Kimi Code CLI on your computer.

1. Create an API key on the API keys page.
2. Set THIRDS_API_KEY in the environment that starts Kimi Code.
3. Add this entry to ~/.kimi-code/mcp.json to use thirds.ai in all your projects, or to .kimi-code/mcp.json inside one project:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "thirds": {
      "url": "https://thirds.ai/mcp",
      "bearerTokenEnvVar": "THIRDS_API_KEY"
    }
  }
}

The Kimi Code MCP guide (checked 25 September 2026) says that an entry with a url and no transport connects over HTTP. It also says that bearerTokenEnvVar names the environment variable that holds the bearer token. Kimi Code reads your key from that variable, so the key stays out of the file, your prompts, and source control.

If you'd rather not edit the file, run /mcp-config inside Kimi Code. It lets you add, edit, or delete a server step by step. When a project file and your user file both have a server named thirds, the project entry wins.

Connect with only the URL

You can skip the key and sign in on a thirds.ai page. Leave out the bearerTokenEnvVar line, so the entry holds only the URL. Then run /mcp-config login thirds inside Kimi Code. The Kimi Code MCP guide says this command starts the browser sign-in for a server that uses OAuth (checked 27 September 2026). When the thirds.ai page opens, sign in if you need to and click Allow.

This connection gets every thirds.ai tool except the two AI image tools. Use the API key setup when you need those. To stop the connection, open your thirds.ai Settings, find the app under Connected apps, and click Disconnect.

Check the connection in Kimi Code

You check the thirds.ai connection in a new Kimi Code session, because the Kimi Code MCP guide says that a server you add only joins sessions that start later. Close the open session, start a new one, and run /mcp. The list must show thirds as connected.

Then ask Kimi to list your saved thirds.ai designs. Kimi Code names each tool mcp__thirds__<tool>. The first time Kimi calls a thirds.ai tool, it asks you to approve the call. Choose Approve for this session when you want Kimi to make several files in a row without asking each time.

If thirds doesn't connect, check that THIRDS_API_KEY is set in the same terminal that starts Kimi Code. Then run /mcp-config to look at the entry for a typo in the URL or the variable name.

Read MCP costs and retries before your first paid call. It explains credit approval and safe retries.

FAQ

Does this setup work in the Kimi chat app?

No. This setup is for Kimi Code CLI. The Kimi chat app on the web and on your phone is a different product.

Should I use the user file or the project file?

Use ~/.kimi-code/mcp.json when you want thirds.ai in every project. Use .kimi-code/mcp.json when only one project needs it. The Kimi Code MCP guide says that Kimi Code asks you to trust a folder before it turns on the servers in its project file.

Do I need to run /mcp-config login?

Only if you skip the API key and connect with the URL alone. That command starts the browser sign-in. With the API key setup, Kimi Code reads your key from THIRDS_API_KEY, so you don't need it.

Does connecting spend credits?

No. Connecting and listing tools don't spend credits. AI template work and successful files can. Ask Kimi to show the action and the cost before it starts paid work.