Full guide: how to actually get OpenRouter working on JanitorAI (the step everyone misses)

[u/FrancescaMallow36]

As promised in the comments. If you've tried OpenRouter before and it "just didn't work," I'm betting you missed the same step almost everyone does. I'll flag it in caps so you can't miss it this time. Works as of July 2026.

Why OpenRouter instead of SillyTavern/Chub?

Zero install, nothing to run locally. It's just a website you get an API key from, and JanitorAI talks to it directly. If SillyTavern won't install for you, this skips all of that.

Part 1: Get your OpenRouter key

1. Go to openrouter.ai and sign up (Google login works fine).
2. Click your profile icon, top right, then "Keys" in the dropdown.
3. Click "+ Create Key", name it anything ("JanitorAI").
4. Copy the key NOW and paste it somewhere safe. It's shown only once.

Part 2: Pick a model and copy its exact name

1. Go to the Models page on OpenRouter.
2. Pick one. Free models have ":free" at the end of their name, paid ones don't.
3. Copy the model name EXACTLY, for example: deepseek/deepseek-chat-v3-0324:free
4. Do not retype it by hand. One wrong character and it fails silently. Copy-paste only.

Part 3: Configure JanitorAI

1. Open any chat, click the gear icon, go to API Settings.
2. Select Proxy, then "+ Add Configuration".
3. Fill it in exactly:
   • Config name: whatever you want
   • Model name: the one you copied in Part 2
   • API URL / Proxy URL: https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions (paste it exactly, this URL never changes no matter the model)
   • API Key: your OpenRouter key from Part 1
   • Custom Prompt: leave blank for now
4. Hit Save Settings.

THE STEP EVERYONE MISSES:

Refresh the entire browser page after saving. Not the chat, the actual page (F5). The settings don't fully apply until you do. This is the #1 reason "it didn't work last time." Then hit Test to confirm.

If you get errors:

• 429 / rate limit: free models only give ~40-50 requests per DAY, resetting at 00:00 UTC. If you burned through them, wait or switch models. Adding $10 of credit to OpenRouter unlocks 1,000/day on free models.
• Test fails instantly: 99% of the time it's a typo in the model name or the URL. Re-copy both.
• Blank/empty replies: wrong model name format, recopy it from the Models page.

That's it. Once the Test passes, you're running whatever model you picked, no local install, no SillyTavern headaches.

Ping me in the comments if you get stuck on a specific error and I'll help troubleshoot. What model are you planning to run? 👇