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OpenRouter provides access to models from multiple providers through a single API, with automatic fallbacks and load balancing.

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Overview

OpenRouter aggregates models from:
  • OpenAI (GPT-4, GPT-3.5)
  • Anthropic (Claude)
  • Google (Gemini)
  • Meta (Llama)
  • Mistral, Cohere, and more
Supports:
  • 200+ models
  • Automatic failover
  • Usage-based pricing
  • No commitment

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Configuration

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Environment Variable

export OPENROUTER_API_KEY="sk-or-v1-..."

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Config File

[agent]
provider = "openrouter"
model = "anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet"  # Model name from OpenRouter catalog

[providers.openrouter]
api_key = "sk-or-v1-..."  # Optional: defaults to OPENROUTER_API_KEY
base_url = "https://openrouter.ai/api/v1"  # Optional: custom endpoint

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Selecting Models

OpenRouter uses slash-separated model IDs: 
# Anthropic models
zeroclaw agent --model anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet
zeroclaw agent --model anthropic/claude-3-opus

# OpenAI models
zeroclaw agent --model openai/gpt-4-turbo
zeroclaw agent --model openai/gpt-3.5-turbo

# Open source models
zeroclaw agent --model meta-llama/llama-3.1-70b-instruct
zeroclaw agent --model mistralai/mixtral-8x7b-instruct
Browse available models at: https://openrouter.ai/models

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Features

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Tool Calling

Native tool calling for compatible models: 
[providers.openrouter]
tool_calling = "native"  # Uses model's native function calling
Models with tool support:
  • anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet
  • openai/gpt-4-turbo
  • google/gemini-pro

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Automatic Fallbacks

OpenRouter automatically retries with alternative models if primary fails: 
[providers.openrouter]
fallback_models = [
    "anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet",
    "openai/gpt-4-turbo",
    "google/gemini-pro"
]

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Cost Tracking

Monitor spending: 
zeroclaw cost summary --provider openrouter

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Request Format

OpenRouter uses OpenAI-compatible request format: 
{
  "model": "anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet",
  "messages": [
    {"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}
  ],
  "temperature": 0.7,
  "max_tokens": 1000
}

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Rate Limits

Varies by model and plan:
  • Free tier: 10 requests/minute
  • Pay-as-you-go: 60 requests/minute
  • Higher tiers: Contact OpenRouter

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Pricing

Pay only for what you use. Prices vary by model:
ModelInput (per 1M tokens)Output (per 1M tokens)
Claude 3.5 Sonnet$3.00$15.00
GPT-4 Turbo$10.00$30.00
Llama 3.1 70B$0.59$0.79
Check current pricing at: https://openrouter.ai/models

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Troubleshooting

Solution:Get your API key from https://openrouter.ai/keys
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY="sk-or-v1-..."
zeroclaw status
Solution:Check model ID format (should be provider/model-name):
# Correct
zeroclaw agent --model anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet

# Wrong
zeroclaw agent --model claude-3.5-sonnet
Solution:Add rate limiting:
[security]
max_actions_per_hour = 50
rate_limit_per_minute = 10

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Example Usage

# Use Claude via OpenRouter
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY="sk-or-v1-..."
zeroclaw agent --provider openrouter --model anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet

# Try multiple models with fallback
zeroclaw agent -p openrouter -m "openai/gpt-4-turbo,anthropic/claude-3-opus"

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