OpenClaw

Run OpenClaw against AnyRouter — one key across every model and messaging channel, unified billing, and audit logs on every request.

OpenClaw is a personal AI assistant that answers you on the messaging channels you already use (Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, iMessage, Email, …). It runs locally and supports any OpenAI-compatible LLM provider — so pointing it at AnyRouter is a config-only change, and every request then flows through one gateway.

Why route through AnyRouter

One key for every model OpenClaw can use.
Audit logs with cost, latency, and tokens per request.
Free model swaps — change one line in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json, no key rotation.

Set it up

Create an AnyRouter API key in your dashboard first — every key starts with sk-ar-. Then choose the onboarding wizard or edit the config file directly.

Run the OpenClaw onboarding wizard — it handles gateway, workspace, channels, and provider in one flow:

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

When the wizard asks for an LLM provider, pick Custom (OpenAI-compatible) and enter:

Base URL — https://anyrouter.dev/api/v1
API key — your sk-ar-… key
Model — any AnyRouter model id, e.g. google/gemini-3.1-flash-lite (the wizard registers it under the provider, then references it as anyrouter/google/gemini-3.1-flash-lite)

Then start the gateway and OpenClaw will route every request through AnyRouter:

openclaw gateway --port 18789 --verbose

OpenClaw stores config in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  "env": {
    "ANYROUTER_API_KEY": "sk-ar-your-anyrouter-key"
  },
  "models": {
    "mode": "merge",
    "providers": {
      "anyrouter": {
        "baseUrl": "https://anyrouter.dev/api/v1",
        "api": "openai-completions",
        "apiKey": "${ANYROUTER_API_KEY}",
        "models": [
          {
            "id": "google/gemini-3.1-flash-lite",
            "name": "Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite",
            "contextWindow": 1000000
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  },
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "anyrouter/google/gemini-3.1-flash-lite"
      }
    }
  }
}

Two things OpenClaw requires for a custom provider:

The key is an interpolated env var — apiKey: "${ANYROUTER_API_KEY}", with the value supplied in the top-level env block (or your shell). There is no apiKeyEnv field.
Every model must be declared in the provider's models[] array (at minimum an id). OpenClaw won't route to an undeclared model id. Add one entry per AnyRouter model you intend to use.

Reference a model as anyrouter/<id> — the provider name you registered (anyrouter) plus the declared model id (e.g. anyrouter/google/gemini-3.1-flash-lite). mode: "merge" keeps OpenClaw's built-in providers alongside yours.

Verify

Message OpenClaw on any connected channel, then open your request logs. The call should appear within a second or two with the model name, token counts, and cost — confirmation you're routing through AnyRouter. You can also run openclaw models status --probe to live-test provider connectivity.

Recommended models

anyrouter/google/gemini-3.1-flash-lite — default low-latency model for most channels
anyrouter/anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6 — best quality for long threads and tool use
anyrouter/openai/gpt-5.4-mini — strong balance, broad capability coverage

List every available model:

curl https://anyrouter.dev/api/v1/models -H "Authorization: Bearer sk-ar-your-key"

Different models per use case

OpenClaw selects models per agent, not per channel directly. Define multiple agents in agents.list[] — each with its own model.primary — then bind channels to those agents in OpenClaw's bindings config:

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": { "primary": "anyrouter/google/gemini-3.1-flash-lite" }
    },
    "list": [
      {
        "id": "fast",
        "model": { "primary": "anyrouter/google/gemini-3.1-flash-lite" }
      },
      {
        "id": "deep",
        "model": { "primary": "anyrouter/anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6" }
      }
    ]
  }
}

Every model referenced here must also be declared in the anyrouter provider's models[] array (see above). Channel-to-agent routing (e.g. send Telegram to fast, Discord to deep) is configured in OpenClaw's bindings section — see the OpenClaw configuration reference.

Troubleshooting

401 or 403 — verify echo $ANYROUTER_API_KEY returns your key and that the dashboard shows it active with credit remaining.

Unknown model — make sure the id is prefixed anyrouter/, that it's declared in the provider's models[] array, and that the rest matches an entry from GET /api/v1/models. Run openclaw models status --probe to live-test provider connectivity and surface routing issues.

429 — OpenClaw heartbeats and scheduled tasks can burst. Back off and retry — the same key works again next window. See Rate Limits.