How to set up openrouter API key on Janitor AI?
In Janitor AI, open a chat's API Settings, choose Proxy, and 'Add Configuration.' Enter a model name (e.g. deepseek/deepseek-chat-v3-0324:free), the Proxy URL https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions, and your OpenRouter key (sk-or-v1-...). Save and refresh. As of 2026-07 the free tier allows 50 messages/day.
Why — the first-principles explanation
OpenRouter is a model aggregator: one account and one key give you access to dozens of AI models, some free, some paid. Setting it up in Janitor AI means telling Janitor three things so it can route your messages to OpenRouter instead of JanitorLLM: which model to use, where to send the request (the URL), and who you are (the key).
Those three fields map exactly to the setup boxes. The model name must match OpenRouter's exact ID, like `deepseek/deepseek-chat-v3-0324:free`, or the request fails. The Proxy URL is OpenRouter's fixed endpoint, `.../api/v1/chat/completions`. The API key authenticates and meters you. Miss or mistype any one and you get an error, which is why most setup problems are typos, not real faults.
The payoff is control. Because OpenRouter offers free models and a free daily allowance (50 messages, or 1,000 with $10 credit), you can often get faster, less-crowded replies than the default model at little or no cost, while paying per token only if you choose a premium model.
An example that makes it click
Setting this up is like programming a delivery address into an app. You tell it what to order (the model name), the exact restaurant address (the proxy URL), and you show your membership code so they know who's paying (the API key). Get one digit of the address wrong and the food never arrives, that's your 'error.' Type all three correctly and dinner shows up fast from a kitchen that isn't slammed with a giant free-lunch crowd.
How to do it
- Get your key from openrouter.ai: profile > Keys > Create Key, then copy it (starts with sk-or-v1-).
- In Janitor AI, open any chat and click the three-line menu to reach 'API Settings.'
- Select 'Proxy,' then click '+ Add Configuration.'
- Config Name: type any label you like.
- Model Name: enter an exact OpenRouter ID, for example deepseek/deepseek-chat-v3-0324:free.
- Proxy URL: enter https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions.
- API Key: paste your sk-or-v1- key, click 'Save Settings,' then refresh the browser.
Key facts
- The OpenRouter proxy URL for Janitor AI is https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions.
- The model name must match OpenRouter's exact ID, e.g. deepseek/deepseek-chat-v3-0324:free.
- OpenRouter API keys start with sk-or-v1- and are entered in Janitor AI's Proxy settings.
- After saving, you must refresh the browser for the configuration to take effect.
- OpenRouter's free tier gives 50 messages/day, expanding to 1,000 with $10 in credit.
▶ The 60-second explainer (script)
Here's how to set up an OpenRouter API key on Janitor AI, step by step, as of July 2026. OpenRouter is a service that gives you many AI models through one key. To use it, you tell Janitor AI three things: which model, where to send requests, and who you are. First, grab your key: on openrouter dot ai, go to your profile, open Keys, click Create Key, and copy it, it starts with s-k-dash-o-r. Now, in Janitor AI, open a chat, click the three-line menu, and go to API Settings. Choose Proxy, then Add Configuration. Give it any name. For Model Name, type an exact OpenRouter ID, like deepseek slash deepseek-chat-v3, colon, free. For Proxy URL, enter openrouter's endpoint that ends in slash chat slash completions. Then paste your key in the API Key box. Hit Save Settings and refresh your browser. That's it. If you get an error, it's almost always a typo in the model name or URL. On the free tier you get fifty messages a day, or a thousand if you add ten dollars.
What authoritative sources say
People also ask
What proxy URL do I use for OpenRouter?
https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions, entered in the Proxy URL field.
My setup shows an error, why?
Almost always a typo in the model name or URL. Copy the exact model ID from OpenRouter and re-check the URL.
Do I have to refresh after saving?
Yes. Save the configuration, then refresh your browser for it to take effect.
Which model should I pick?
Start with a free model like deepseek/deepseek-chat-v3-0324:free, then try others once it works.