How to use a proxy with Janitor AI?
A proxy connects Janitor AI to an outside AI model using two things: an API key and an API URL. As of 2026-07, get a free key from OpenRouter, open a chat's API Settings, choose Proxy, add a configuration with a model name and the proxy URL, paste your key, save, and refresh.
Why — the first-principles explanation
Janitor AI's own model, JanitorLLM, is free but shares limited server capacity, so during busy times replies queue or slow down. A proxy lets you plug in a different provider, such as OpenRouter, OpenAI, or DeepSeek, that runs on its own servers. Janitor AI never runs those models itself; it simply relays your message to them and shows the reply.
Two pieces make this work. The API key is a password proving you are allowed to use that provider. The API URL is the exact address Janitor AI sends your text to. Without both, the outside model won't answer, which is why setup is mostly copying a key and a URL into the right boxes.
The economics are simple: external models charge per token, where a token is roughly three-quarters of a word. You pay the provider directly, so Janitor AI stays free while you rent computing power elsewhere. OpenRouter's free tier gives 50 messages a day, and adding $10 of credit raises that to 1,000. One trade-off: your chats now pass through a third party's servers under their privacy rules.
An example that makes it click
Imagine Janitor AI is a walkie-talkie that can only reach one crowded channel. A proxy is like programming in a second channel that belongs to a different radio tower. To use it you need the tower's frequency (the API URL) and a badge that proves you're allowed on it (the API key). Once both are typed in, you press talk and your voice reaches a clearer, less crowded tower, one that charges you a few cents each time you use it.
How to do it
- Go to openrouter.ai and create a free account.
- Open your profile menu, click 'Keys,' then '+ Create Key' and name it (for example, 'JanitorAI Key').
- Copy the key immediately; it starts with sk-or-v1-.
- In Janitor AI, open any chat and click the three-line menu to reach 'API Settings.'
- Choose 'Proxy,' then click '+ Add Configuration.'
- Fill in a config name, a model name (for example, deepseek/deepseek-chat-v3-0324:free), the Proxy URL https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions, and your copied API key.
- Click 'Save Settings,' then refresh your browser before chatting.
Key facts
- A proxy needs two items: an API key (your password) and an API URL (the service address).
- OpenRouter's free tier gives 50 messages per day; adding $10 in credit unlocks 1,000 per day.
- OpenRouter API keys start with the prefix sk-or-v1-.
- The OpenRouter proxy URL is https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions.
- Janitor AI recommends a context size of 16,384 tokens for good proxy performance.
▶ The 60-second explainer (script)
Want faster, less crowded replies in Janitor AI? Use a proxy. Here's how it works in July 2026. A proxy is a bridge that connects Janitor AI to an outside AI model, and it needs just two things: an API key and an API URL. Step one: go to openrouter dot ai, make a free account, open Keys, click Create Key, and copy it. The key starts with s-k-dash-o-r. Step two: back in Janitor AI, open a chat, click the three-line menu, and go to API Settings. Pick Proxy, then Add Configuration. Type a model name, paste the proxy URL that ends in slash chat slash completions, and paste your key. Hit Save and refresh the page. That's it. OpenRouter's free tier gives you fifty messages a day, or a thousand if you add ten dollars of credit. Just remember your chats now travel through that provider's servers.
What authoritative sources say
People also ask
Why would I use a proxy instead of the default model?
Proxies give access to faster or higher-quality models and avoid Janitor AI's busy queue during peak hours.
Is using a proxy free?
OpenRouter offers a free tier of 50 messages a day; heavier use or premium models cost money you pay the provider directly.
My proxy shows an error, what now?
Double-check the model name, proxy URL, and key spelling, then refresh. The help center's OpenRouter Error Guide covers common fixes.
Does the proxy see my chats?
Yes. Your messages pass through the provider's servers under their privacy policy, not just Janitor AI's.