OpenRouter

Rho supports OpenRouter through its OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions API. OpenRouter is one provider with two auth modes.

At a glance

Method	Provider	Auth	Login
API key	openrouter	openrouter-api-key	/login openrouter-api-key
OAuth	openrouter	openrouter-oauth	/login openrouter-oauth

Both methods use:

• Environment override: OPENROUTER_API_KEY
• API base: https://openrouter.ai/api/v1
• A model list that Rho can refresh after login

Login and model selection

Run /login and select OpenRouter, then choose API Key or OAuth. /login openrouter opens the same method picker. You can also target either method at once:

/login openrouter-api-key
/login openrouter-oauth

API-key login opens a masked key entry box. OAuth opens OpenRouter in your browser. Rho uses S256 PKCE, listens on an unused localhost port for the redirect, exchanges the code for a user-controlled OpenRouter API key, and saves that key in the configured credential store. The callback listener closes when login ends.

OpenRouter does not offer a device-code flow. Browser login therefore needs a browser that can reach the localhost callback. On a remote or headless host, use API-key login or set OPENROUTER_API_KEY.

The OAuth key and a manually entered key have separate credential-store entries. Run bare /logout to choose a stored mode, or use /logout openrouter-api-key and /logout openrouter-oauth to target one. For CI and development, OPENROUTER_API_KEY overrides either stored key.

OpenRouter model IDs often contain a slash. Both auth modes use the same provider model reference:

/model openrouter/anthropic/claude-sonnet-4

Legacy openrouter-oauth/... model references still load and normalize to openrouter/....

Rho fetches the model list from OpenRouter's /models endpoint after login. Choose Refresh model lists in /config when models change. Rho sends turns to /chat/completions.

Automation

You can complete browser OAuth from the command line:

rho login openrouter-oauth

Do not pass --device-auth, since OpenRouter does not support device login. Then select the provider, OAuth mode, and model:

rho --provider openrouter --auth openrouter-oauth --model anthropic/claude-sonnet-4 run "hello"

For API-key automation, use:

rho --provider openrouter --auth openrouter-api-key --model anthropic/claude-sonnet-4 run "hello"

The retired --provider openrouter-oauth value remains a compatibility alias and normalizes to provider = "openrouter" with auth = "openrouter-oauth".