GLM 5 is Z.ai's GLM-5 generation model released February 12, 2026, featuring multiple thinking modes, enhanced long-range planning and memory, and improved handling of complex multi-step agent tasks. It supports agentic coding and structured data extraction workflows.
import { streamText } from 'ai'
const result = streamText({ model: 'zai/glm-5', prompt: 'Why is the sky blue?'})What To Consider When Choosing a Provider
- Configuration: GLM 5 supports multiple thinking modes. Experiment with different modes on your specific tasks to find the right balance between reasoning depth and response speed.
- Configuration: The combination of long-range planning, autonomous tool use, and multiple thinking modes makes GLM 5 well-suited as the central model in agentic pipelines. Design your tool schemas to leverage these capabilities.
- Configuration: For structured data extraction from contracts and financial reports, benchmark GLM 5 against general-purpose alternatives on your document types.
- Zero Data Retention: AI Gateway supports Zero Data Retention for this model via direct gateway requests (BYOK is not included). To configure this, check the documentation.
- Authentication: AI Gateway authenticates requests using an API key or OIDC token. You do not need to manage provider credentials directly.
When to Use GLM 5
Best For
- Complex agentic workflows: Multi-step planning, autonomous tool use, and sustained reasoning across extended task sequences
- Agentic coding: The model autonomously plans, writes, tests, and iterates on code with minimal human intervention
- Structured data extraction: Contracts, financial reports, and complex documents where precision matters
- Workflow automation: Improved long-range planning and memory support multi-phase processes
- Applications requiring flexible reasoning: Multiple thinking modes let you optimize the accuracy-latency tradeoff per request
Consider Alternatives When
- Speed and cost priority: GLM-4.7-Flash or GLM-4.7-FlashX provides faster inference for less demanding tasks
- Vision and multimodal input: GLM-4.6V or GLM-4.5V provides visual understanding capabilities
- Simple generation or classification: Earlier GLM models may be more cost-effective for straightforward tasks
- Frontend-specific code generation: GLM-4.7's targeted frontend improvements may be sufficient at lower cost
Conclusion
GLM 5 is Z.ai's GLM-5 generation model, with agentic features from multiple thinking modes, long-range planning, and autonomous tool use. For teams building agent systems, automated coding pipelines, or document processing workflows, it provides deep reasoning and planning capabilities in the GLM lineup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the multiple thinking modes in GLM 5?
GLM 5 supports different thinking modes that optimize for different task profiles, from quick direct responses to deep deliberation with extended chain-of-thought reasoning. This lets you control the accuracy-latency tradeoff per request.
How does GLM 5 compare to GLM-4.7?
GLM 5 adds multiple thinking modes, improved long-range planning and memory, and expanded agentic features compared with GLM-4.7. GLM-4.7 can still fit coding and frontend tasks when you want lower cost.
What makes GLM 5 good at document extraction?
Z.ai cites structured extraction from contracts, financial reports, and other complex documents. Improved planning and reasoning help with multi-section files, cross-references, and complex formatting.
What is the context window for GLM 5?
202.8K tokens.
How do I authenticate with GLM 5 through AI Gateway?
AI Gateway provides a unified API key. No separate Z.ai account is needed. Use the model identifier to route requests. BYOK is also supported for direct provider access.
Is GLM 5 suitable for autonomous coding?
Yes. GLM 5 handles agentic coding where it autonomously plans, writes, tests, and iterates on code. The improved long-range planning helps maintain coherence across complex, multi-file coding tasks.
What is the pricing for GLM 5?
Rates are listed on this page. They reflect the providers routing through AI Gateway and shift when providers update their pricing.
