Setup guide - Documented by Continue
Use OpenRouter in Continue
Continue has a first-class openrouter provider. Add a model entry with provider: openrouter, apiBase https://openrouter.ai/api/v1 and your key in config.yaml. Concrete current model ids come from OpenRouter's docs.
Last verified 4 steps2 official sources
Steps
- Step 1.
Get an API key from OpenRouter (https://openrouter.ai/keys).
- Step 2.
Add an OpenRouter model to your Continue config.yaml.
YAMLname: My Config version: 0.0.1 schema: v1 models: - name: <MODEL_NAME> provider: openrouter model: <MODEL_ID> apiBase: https://openrouter.ai/api/v1 apiKey: <YOUR_OPEN_ROUTER_API_KEY> - Step 3.
If Agent mode or tools don't work, declare tool_use explicitly.
YAMLname: My Config version: 0.0.1 schema: v1 models: - name: <MODEL_NAME> provider: openrouter model: <MODEL_ID> apiBase: https://openrouter.ai/api/v1 apiKey: <YOUR_OPEN_ROUTER_API_KEY> capabilities: - tool_use # Enable function calling for Agent mode - Step 4.
Optional: pass OpenRouter options through requestOptions, for example to turn off transforms.
YAMLname: My Config version: 0.0.1 schema: v1 models: - name: <MODEL_NAME> provider: openrouter model: <MODEL_ID> requestOptions: extraBodyProperties: transforms: []
Caveats
- Continue's page uses the placeholder <MODEL_ID>. The modelIds listed here come from OpenRouter's docs (latest-resolution and integration guides), not from Continue. This combines the two sources.
- Continue notes that OpenRouter does not always preserve a model's function-calling support, so you may need capabilities: [tool_use].
- The JSON config format is deprecated. Use YAML.
More setup guides
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Related reading
- Model Routing Recipes: Practical Config Patterns to Cut AI SpendModel routing recipes with paste-ready OpenRouter and LiteLLM configs for task tiers, fallback chains, cost ceilings and cache-aware routing that cut AI spend.
- OpenRouter Fusion Makes Model Panels Real. Use Them Like Escalation, Not AutopilotOpenRouter Fusion turns multi-model panels into an API feature. Use it as an escalation lane for prompts where a wrong answer is expensive, not as the default.
- OpenRouter in 2026: Review, Setup, and When Model Routing PaysOpenRouter review and setup - one API key for 300+ models with fallbacks and provider routing, what it costs, and when to go direct to a provider instead.
- LLM Routers Compared: LiteLLM vs Portkey vs OpenRouter in 2026LiteLLM vs Portkey vs OpenRouter compared for production AI apps: cost tracking, fallbacks, caching, and load balancing, plus when to use each router.
FAQ
How do I use OpenRouter in Continue?
Continue has a first-class openrouter provider. Add a model entry with provider: openrouter, apiBase https://openrouter.ai/api/v1 and your key in config.yaml. Concrete current model ids come from OpenRouter's docs.
Which OpenRouter model ids work in Continue?
The official docs read for this guide list ~anthropic/claude-sonnet-latest, ~openai/gpt-sol-latest and anthropic/claude-opus-4.8. Requests go to https://openrouter.ai/api/v1.
Is this an official OpenRouter and Continue setup?
Continue documents this setup in its own docs. It was last checked against 2 official pages on October 17, 2026.
Sources
Last verified against 2 official pages.
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