OpenRouter setup
One key for many free AI models, picked automatically.
What it does
OpenRouter is a single API in front of hundreds of AI models, including a rotating selection of free ones.
- A third AI option for drafts and scoring when Gemini and Groq are busy
Get set up
- Create a key at openrouter.ai/keys
- Paste it in Settings → AI → OpenRouter API key
- Click Check next to OpenRouter on the Jobs page
Where it goes
In the dashboard, open Settings and find the AI section. Secret values are encrypted before they're saved and only their last four characters are ever shown again.
OPENROUTER_API_KEYOPENROUTER_MODELStaying free
Because free models come and go, Larvabot checks OpenRouter's live model list and picks the best free one from a preference list (currently Nvidia's Nemotron models first), and every provider must pass Larvabot's AI quality check before it writes anything.
How the quota guard works →Larva tip
Leave OpenRouter model empty to let Larvabot pick the best free model each time. If you set one, keep the :free suffix or you'll be billed.
Fallback order
For AI, Larvabot tries these in order and skips any that aren't set up, are out of free quota or are busy. AI providers also have to pass the quality check on the Jobs & providers page.
- 1Google Gemini
- 2Groq
- 3OpenRouter (:free models)
- 4Cloudflare Workers AI
- 5Cerebras
- 6Mistral
- 7Custom OpenAI-compatible (e.g. Ollama)
More AI tools
Curious why OpenRouter made the cut? OpenRouter in the free stack →