OpenRouter Configuration

OpenRouter provides unified API access to hundreds of AI models from multiple providers including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, and more.

Prerequisites

• OpenRouter account: openrouter.ai
• API key (free credits available)
• Credits for paid models (or use free models)

Setup

Configuration

Provider Settings

• Service: openrouter
• Base URL: https://openrouter.ai/api/v1 (default)
• Authentication: Bearer token (API key)

Model Routing

OpenRouter automatically routes your request to the best available provider for your selected model.

Model Selection

Glyph fetches the latest model list from OpenRouter’s /v1/models endpoint.

Model Details

OpenRouter provides rich model metadata:

• Context length - Maximum tokens per request
• Pricing - Input and output token costs
• Modalities - Text, image, audio support
• Max output tokens - Maximum response length
• Supported parameters - Available model options

Hover over the info icon in the model selector to view these details.

Recommended Models

Free Models

Paid Models (High Performance)

Check current pricing at openrouter.ai/models .

Features

Chat Mode

Conversational interaction:

• Back-and-forth dialogue with any model
• No file system access
• Fast responses
• Best for discussion and brainstorming

Create Mode

AI with workspace tools:

• read_file - Read files from your space
• search_notes - Search note content
• list_dir - List directory contents
• Tool usage tracked in timeline view
• Best for research and knowledge retrieval

Context Attachment

Attach notes for grounded responses:

• Attach files or folders via context menu
• Mention with @filename syntax
• Configure character budget (up to 250K chars)
• Context limits vary by model

API Usage and Billing

Credits

OpenRouter uses a credit system:

• 1 credit = $1 USD
• Purchase credits at openrouter.ai/credits
• Free credits on signup

Cost Estimation

Use the model selector to view pricing before sending:

1. Select a model
2. Hover over the info icon
3. View input/output pricing
4. Estimate cost: (input_tokens × input_price) + (output_tokens × output_price)

Rate Limits

Rate limits depend on your credit balance and model:

• Higher credit balance = higher rate limits
• Free models have stricter limits
• Check limits at openrouter.ai/docs/limits

Troubleshooting

”API key not set for this profile”

Solution: Add your OpenRouter API key in Settings → AI.

”model list failed (401)”

Solution: Your API key is invalid. Generate a new key from OpenRouter.

”insufficient credits”

Solution: Add credits at openrouter.ai/credits or use a free model.

”model not found”

Cause: The model ID is incorrect or the model is no longer available.

Solution: Refresh the model list or check openrouter.ai/models for valid model IDs.

Model list is very long

Solution: Use the search/filter in the model selector. Type to filter by provider or model name.

Responses from different providers

Cause: OpenRouter routes to the best available provider for your model. If primary provider is unavailable, it uses a fallback.

Solution: This is expected behavior. Check OpenRouter’s dashboard for routing details.

Advanced Features

Provider Preferences

Some OpenRouter models allow provider selection (e.g., anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet:beta vs anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet).

Use the full model ID from openrouter.ai/models to specify routing.

Custom Headers

OpenRouter supports custom headers for advanced use cases:

[
  { "key": "HTTP-Referer", "value": "https://yourdomain.com" },
  { "key": "X-Title", "value": "Glyph Integration" }
]

These headers may provide better rate limits and routing.

Security Best Practices

OpenRouter vs Direct Providers

Advantages of OpenRouter

✅ Single API key for hundreds of models ✅ Automatic provider failover ✅ Unified billing ✅ Model comparison and discovery ✅ Free models available

When to Use Direct Providers

• Lower latency (no routing layer)
• Provider-specific features (e.g., Anthropic’s thinking models)
• Direct billing relationship
• Higher rate limits with provider-native keys

Next Steps