How to use Kimi: step-by-step tutorial
Moonshot AI’s assistant for long documents, research and agent tasks: real prices, the shared credit pool, Goal Mode and prompts you can copy.
At a glance
Is Kimi right for this job?
Use Kimi for
- Summarizing long reports, papers and transcripts
- Comparing two long documents side by side
- Research briefs built from sources you check
- Multi-step jobs with Goal Mode on Pro and above
- Coding help in Kimi Code
Think twice for
- Live facts you will not verify
- Agents running unattended on anything that spends money
- Confidential data on a personal account
- Huge jobs late in the month when credits are low
Get set up: step by step
Basics
What it is
Kimi is an AI assistant from Moonshot AI, with a free tier and paid memberships (Plus, Pro, Max and Ultra). Paid plans share one monthly credit pool across Kimi’s features, and Kimi Code, its coding tool, has a rolling 5-hour usage limit. Pro and above add Goal Mode and Kimi Claw, Kimi’s more autonomous agent features.
Why this step matters: Knowing what it is good and bad at stops you using it for jobs where it will fail quietly.
Setup
Step 1: Get the official app
- Start from kimi.ai or the official app store listing linked from it.
- Check the publisher is Moonshot AI before installing. Similar names exist.
- Sign in, then open the membership page once so you know which plan you are on.
Why this step matters: Copycat apps and unofficial installers are common; starting from the official source protects your account and data.
Setup
Step 2: Plans, limits and costs
- Free: basic use.
- Plus: $19/month or $180/year.
- Pro: $39/month or $372/year; adds Goal Mode and Kimi Claw.
- Max: $99/month or $948/year.
- Ultra: $199/month or $1,908/year.
Paid plans draw from one shared monthly credit pool that does not roll over. Kimi Code has a rolling 5-hour limit (Kimi membership pricing page).
Why this step matters: Paying for features you don't use is the most common waste. Knowing the limits first tells you if the free tier is enough.
Real things to do with Kimi
Get through a long report
Ask for a summary plus the key numbers with page references. You verify two and trust the rest more.
Summarize this report in one paragraph.
Then list the 5 most important numbers, each with its page number.
Say "not stated" if a number is missing.
Compare two contracts
Kimi handles long inputs well. Put both versions in and ask for a difference table with clause numbers.
Compare contract A and contract B.
Table: topic, A says, B says, clause numbers.
Flag anything in B that is worse for me than A.
Build a research brief
Ask for dated sources first, check them, then ask for a brief using only those.
Find 5 sources from the last 12 months on heat pumps in cold climates.
For each: title, date, link, one quoted sentence.
Wait for my OK before writing the brief.
Run a goal, not a prompt (Pro+)
Goal Mode is for multi-step jobs. Describe the finish line and ask for the plan first.
Goal: a one-page comparison of 3 project-management tools for a 5-person team.
Show me your plan before you start, and stop after the plan.
Debug with Kimi Code
Give the error, the expected result and the code. Ask for a failing test first.
This script crashes on empty input. Write a test that reproduces it, then the smallest fix.
Explain the cause in 2 sentences.
Plan a study week
Upload the syllabus and ask for a daily plan tied to the readings.
From this syllabus, plan my next 7 days: one reading and one 20-minute task per day.
End with 5 quiz questions on the week.The 5-part prompt that works in Kimi
Most weak answers come from weak instructions, not a weak model. Before you send anything important to Kimi, check that your message has these five parts. It takes thirty seconds and saves several rounds of “that’s not what I meant.”
- Situation. Who you are and why you are asking. “I run a two-person bakery” changes every answer that follows.
- Task. One clear verb: draft, compare, summarize, fix, plan, explain. If you have three tasks, send them as three steps.
- Inputs. Paste or attach the material it should use, and say what to ignore. Name the file and the pages if it is long.
- Format. Length, structure and tone: “a table with 4 columns”, “under 150 words”, “plain English, no jargon”.
- Checks. Tell it how you will judge the answer: “give a source link for every number”, “say unknown instead of guessing”, “list your assumptions first”.
Save the version that works. In Kimi the natural home for reusable instructions is one chat per document with a short brief at the top, so you never type the same context twice.
Go further: steps continued
Use
Step 3: Your first real task
Kimi is built for long inputs. Start with a document you actually need to understand:
Here is a 30-page report. Give me a one-paragraph summary, then the 5 numbers that matter most with the page each comes from. Finish with 3 questions I should ask the author.Why this step matters: A prompt with situation, task and format gets a usable answer first time, so you learn what the tool can actually do.
Setup
Step 4: Privacy
- Don't paste passwords, ID numbers, card numbers or other people's private details.
- Assume the company can read and keep your chats unless its official policy says otherwise.
- For health, money or legal decisions, confirm with a professional or an official source.
- Agent features can open sites and take steps for you. Don’t give them logins or payment details.
Why this step matters: Anything you paste may be stored and read. Deciding what never goes in is easier than undoing a leak.
Mistakes
Mistakes
- Spending credits on huge tasks before testing a small sample.
- Expecting unused credits to carry over; they don’t.
- Letting an agent run without reviewing its plan first.
- Taking facts without sources.
Why this step matters: Knowing how it typically fails tells you where to look when you review its work.
A good session, start to finish
Decide what “done” looks like
Write one sentence describing the finished result before you open the chat: “a one-page plan I can send to my landlord by Friday.” If you cannot describe it, the bot cannot hit it.
Give context once, in the right place
Put standing facts about you, your business or your project where {name} keeps them between chats, instead of pasting them into every message.
Ask for a draft, then steer
Take the first answer as a rough draft. Reply with specific edits (“shorter”, “cut the second option”, “use our real prices”) rather than starting over.
Check the parts that matter
Open the source behind every number, name, date and quote you will reuse. For files, spot-check two page references. For code, run it.
Save what worked
Copy the final prompt into a notes file or saved instructions. Next time the same job takes one message instead of ten, and you spend fewer credits doing it.
Your first week with Kimi
How to spot a wrong answer
Warning signs
- It gives an exact number, date or quote with no link, or with a link that does not contain it.
- It agrees with everything you say, including a wrong assumption you slipped in to test it.
- The answer is fluent but vague: lots of “generally” and “it depends” and no specifics you can act on.
- It claims to have done something (sent, saved, booked, run) without a link, ID or file you can open.
- Two answers to the same question, asked in fresh chats, disagree on a fact.
- It names a setting, menu or plan feature you cannot find. Apps change their menus often, so check the official help pages.
What to do
Open the source and find the exact sentence. Ask Kimi to separate what it checked from what it assumed. Re-ask in a fresh chat with the source attached. If it still cannot back the claim up, treat it as unknown and use the official page instead.
None of this means the tool is bad. It means you are the editor, and editors check.
Power-user tips
Run a job on two pages or one sample first. Credits come from one pool, so a failed big run is expensive.
Page references turn a long summary into something you can check in two minutes.
Yearly saves money but locks you in. Try a month first.
Goal Mode and Kimi Claw should show a plan you approve before they act.
Kimi Code limits roll every 5 hours; do big refactors early in a window.
Mixing documents in one chat causes blended answers.
Privacy and safety with Kimi
Agent features may browse and act for you. Keep logins, card numbers and private files out of them, and review what they did.
- Never paste passwords, API keys, one-time codes, full card numbers or government ID numbers into any chat.
- Remove other people’s names, addresses and account details from files before you upload them, unless you have their permission and a reason.
- Open the privacy or data-controls settings in your first week and decide whether your chats may be used to improve models.
- Use the account your employer approved for work material. A personal plan follows the consumer terms, not your company’s contract.
- For health, legal, tax or money decisions, use the bot to prepare questions, then confirm with a professional or an official source.
Kimi or another bot?
| If you need… | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Long documents | Kimi or Claude | Both read long files well; compare on your own document. |
| Current facts with links | Perplexity | Built around citations. |
| Autonomous multi-step tasks | Kimi (Pro+) or Manus | Both offer agent modes; approve plans first. |
| Work in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Copilot | Built into Word, Excel and Outlook. |
Our editorial judgment, not a benchmark. Try your own real task in two bots before you pay for either.
Questions people ask
How much does Kimi cost?
Free, then Plus $19/month ($180/year), Pro $39 ($372), Max $99 ($948) and Ultra $199 ($1,908), per Kimi’s membership pricing page (checked Oct 30, 2026).
Do credits roll over?
No. Paid plans share one monthly credit pool, and unused credits do not roll over.
What are Goal Mode and Kimi Claw?
Pro-and-above features for longer, more autonomous tasks. Approve the plan before they act.
What is Kimi Code?
Kimi’s coding tool. It has a rolling 5-hour usage limit.
Who makes Kimi?
Moonshot AI.
Is Kimi good for long PDFs?
Long documents are a core use. Ask for page references and check two.
Is there an API?
Moonshot offers Kimi models to developers; we did not verify API prices on Oct 30, 2026.
Is yearly cheaper?
Yes, e.g. Plus is $180/year vs $19×12 = $228 monthly.
Words you will see
The Kimi quiz, first-week checklist and cost calculator now have their own page.
Where these facts come from
Checked Oct 30, 2026. Plans change, so confirm on the official page before you pay.
Next: Kimi lessons →