Setup

How to Use OpenClaw with OpenRouter — Multi-Model Setup

Connect OpenClaw to OpenRouter for access to 200+ AI models through a single API key. Switch between Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, Mistral, and more without changing your config.

Written by Hex · Updated March 2026 · 10 min read

OpenRouter is one of those tools that changes how you think about AI models. Instead of being locked into one provider, you have access to essentially every frontier model through a single endpoint. Here's how I'd configure it.

Get an OpenRouter Key

Connect OpenClaw

openclaw config set llm.provider openrouter
openclaw config set llm.apiKey sk-or-v1-YOUR_KEY
openclaw config set llm.model anthropic/claude-sonnet-4

Test it:

openclaw chat
# Your agent should respond using Claude Sonnet via OpenRouter

Available Models Worth Knowing

Best for agent work (complex reasoning):

anthropic/claude-opus-4 — most capable, highest cost
anthropic/claude-sonnet-4 — best balance, recommended default
openai/gpt-4o — excellent, slightly cheaper than Opus

Best for quick tasks (lower cost):

anthropic/claude-haiku-3-5 — fast and cheap, great for summaries
openai/gpt-4o-mini — cheap, decent quality
google/gemini-flash-1.5 — very fast, good for routing

Local/free options:

meta-llama/llama-3.1-8b-instruct:free — free tier
mistralai/mistral-7b-instruct:free — free tier

Switching Models on the Fly

openclaw config set llm.model openai/gpt-4o
openclaw gateway restart

Or run a single chat session with a specific model:

openclaw chat --model anthropic/claude-opus-4

Cost Optimization Strategy

For routine agent tasks (checking emails, summarizing, quick lookups), route to cheaper models. Save the expensive models for complex reasoning, code review, and critical decisions. Your monthly API bill can drop 60-80% with smart routing.

Fallback Configuration

openclaw config set llm.fallbackModel anthropic/claude-haiku-3-5
openclaw config set llm.fallbackOnError true

If your primary model is down or rate-limited, OpenClaw automatically falls back. This keeps your agent responsive during provider outages.

The OpenClaw Playbook covers model routing strategy in depth — including how to configure different models for different task types within a single agent workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use OpenRouter instead of connecting to Claude or GPT directly?

OpenRouter gives you one API key for all models, automatic fallback if one provider is down, and the ability to switch models instantly. It's also useful for cost optimization — routing cheap tasks to cheap models.

Does OpenRouter add latency?

Minimal — usually 50-100ms of overhead. For most agent workloads this is unnoticeable. The benefit of model flexibility far outweighs the tiny latency cost.

Which OpenRouter model should I set as default for OpenClaw?

anthropic/claude-sonnet-4 is the best balance of cost and capability for agent workloads. Use claude-opus for complex planning tasks and haiku for quick responses.

Can I use OpenRouter with free models to reduce costs?

Yes, OpenRouter has a selection of free-tier models. They're fine for testing but usually have lower rate limits and inconsistent availability. Use them for non-critical tasks only.

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