How to get a free API key for Janitor AI?
Create a free OpenRouter account at openrouter.ai, open 'Keys,' click 'Create Key,' and copy it (it starts with sk-or-v1-). As of 2026-07 OpenRouter's free tier gives 50 messages per day, or 1,000 after adding $10 in credit. Paste the key into Janitor AI's proxy settings to use it.
Why — the first-principles explanation
A "free API key" doesn't come from Janitor AI, it comes from a model provider whose free tier you're borrowing. Janitor AI's own JanitorLLM needs no key at all. You only want an outside key to get a different model or to escape the free model's busy queue, and the easiest free source is OpenRouter, which aggregates many models and offers a no-cost daily allowance.
The key itself is just an authentication token, a long secret string that proves to OpenRouter that requests are yours. When Janitor AI sends your message to OpenRouter, it attaches this key so the provider knows whom to bill or rate-limit. That's why the key must be kept private: anyone with it can spend your allowance or credit.
The economics explain the limits. Free tiers exist to let you try before you pay, so they're capped, 50 messages a day on OpenRouter. Add $10 of credit and the cap jumps to 1,000/day, because now you're a paying customer with real spending behind you. Beyond that you pay per token for premium models.
An example that makes it click
Getting a free API key is like signing up for a free sample card at a coffee shop chain. The card (your key) is a code that proves it's yours. Show it and you get up to 50 free cups a day. If you load $10 onto the card, the shop trusts you more and bumps you to 1,000 cups. But if you leave the card lying around, a stranger can drink your free coffee, so you keep the code secret.
How to do it
- Go to openrouter.ai and create a free account.
- Click your profile icon and open the 'Keys' section.
- Click '+ Create Key' and give it a name like 'JanitorAI Key.'
- Copy the key immediately; it starts with sk-or-v1- and won't be shown again in full.
- In Janitor AI, open a chat's API Settings, choose Proxy, and paste the key with the OpenRouter URL and a free model name.
- Optional: add $10 of credit on OpenRouter to raise the free limit from 50 to 1,000 messages per day.
Key facts
- Janitor AI's own model needs no API key; free keys come from external providers like OpenRouter.
- OpenRouter accounts are free to create, and keys start with the prefix sk-or-v1-.
- OpenRouter's free tier allows 50 messages per day.
- Adding $10 in credit raises the OpenRouter limit to 1,000 messages per day.
- Keep your API key private; anyone who has it can use your allowance or credit.
▶ The 60-second explainer (script)
Want a free API key for Janitor AI? Here's the catch and the fix, as of July 2026. Janitor AI's own model needs no key at all. But if you want a different model or want to skip the busy free queue, you borrow a free key from an outside provider, and the easiest one is OpenRouter. Here's how. Go to openrouter dot ai and make a free account. Click your profile, open 'Keys,' hit 'Create Key,' name it, and copy it right away, it starts with s-k-dash-o-r and you won't see it in full again. That key is a secret password that proves the requests are yours, so keep it private. On the free tier you get fifty messages a day. Add ten dollars of credit and that jumps to a thousand a day. Last step: in Janitor AI, open a chat's API settings, choose Proxy, and paste your key along with the OpenRouter URL and a free model name. Save, refresh, and you're running on your own key.
What authoritative sources say
People also ask
Does Janitor AI itself give out API keys?
No. Keys come from external providers like OpenRouter; Janitor AI's own model needs no key.
How many free messages do I get?
OpenRouter's free tier allows 50 messages per day, or 1,000 after you add $10 in credit.
What does an OpenRouter key look like?
It's a long secret string starting with sk-or-v1-; copy it right away since it isn't shown in full again.
Is it safe to share my key?
No. Keep it private, because anyone with your key can spend your free allowance or credit.