Cline CLI 3.0.40 adds API key fallback

Cline CLI v3.0.40 shipped July 13. The most notable change is a manual API key escape hatch for Cline’s OAuth providers: when the OAuth flow fails or is not available, you can now enter an API key by hand from settings instead of being stuck.

The release also fixes a bug where provider configuration failed to reload after switching between models, adds error handling for transient token-refresh failures that had been causing unexpected logouts on network or server hiccups, and corrects auto-update detection for Bun global installations after a change in symlink resolution.

Three smaller fixes round it out: the ClinePass usage-limit error now surfaces clearly when a user hits the limit, session IDs now persist when continuing work in an existing session, and the robustness of context-compaction budget handling is improved.

What it means

None of this adds a new capability to Cline. It fixes friction points that show up in daily use: getting logged out without warning, hitting a usage limit without a clear message, or being stuck when OAuth will not cooperate. If you use Cline CLI as a daily driver, the update is worth pulling for the authentication fix alone. The guide on coding agents for non-developers has more on picking and running a coding agent safely.