Hermes, OpenClaw, and other AI agents

Hermes Agent, OpenClaw, and most third-party AI agents can connect to NordRouter as an OpenAI-compatible provider. You do not need a subscription from the agent developer: requests are charged to your NordRouter balance based on actual usage.

What you need

• an sk-nr-… API key from the dashboard;
• a Base URL ending in /v1;
• a complete Model ID from the model catalog.

Choose a Base URL

Where the agent runs	Base URL
Russia	https://nordrouter.com/v1
Outside Russia or through a VPN	https://global-api.nordrouter.com/v1
European server	https://europe-api.nordrouter.com/v1

The examples below use the Russian endpoint. If needed, replace only the domain and keep /v1.

Hermes Agent

Hermes Agent supports custom OpenAI-compatible endpoints. Current versions store the model and endpoint in ~/.hermes/config.yaml.

Configure with the wizard

Exit any active Hermes session and run:

hermes model

Choose Custom endpoint (self-hosted / VLLM / etc.) and enter:

Field	Value
API base URL	https://nordrouter.com/v1
API key	your sk-nr-… key without any extra prefix
Model name	anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6
Context window	1000000

Start a new Hermes session after saving. The /model command inside an open chat only switches between providers that are already configured; add a new endpoint with hermes model in a regular terminal.

Manual configuration

Open ~/.hermes/config.yaml and add or update the model block:

model:
  default: anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6
  provider: custom
  base_url: https://nordrouter.com/v1
  api_key: sk-nr-YOUR-KEY
  context_length: 1000000

Do not use the old LLM_MODEL variable: modern Hermes versions use config.yaml as the source of truth. If your configuration explicitly overrides auxiliary models for vision, compression, or subagents, give those entries a compatible endpoint and a model available in NordRouter as well. With auto, they use the main model.

OpenClaw

OpenClaw adds custom providers through models.providers. Inside OpenClaw the model reference is nordrouter/anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6, while NordRouter receives the correct public ID, anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6.

1. Store the key separately

Create or open the global file:

• macOS / Linux: ~/.openclaw/.env;
• Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.openclaw\.env.

Add:

NORDROUTER_API_KEY=sk-nr-YOUR-KEY

OpenClaw's global .env is intended for provider credentials. Do not put the key in a project-level .env or commit it to Git.

2. Add the provider

Open ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json. If it already contains channels, tools, or agents, do not replace the entire file—merge these sections into the existing object:

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "nordrouter/anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6"
      }
    }
  },
  "models": {
    "mode": "merge",
    "providers": {
      "nordrouter": {
        "baseUrl": "https://nordrouter.com/v1",
        "apiKey": "${NORDROUTER_API_KEY}",
        "api": "openai-completions",
        "models": [
          {
            "id": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6",
            "name": "Claude Sonnet 4.6 via NordRouter",
            "contextWindow": 1000000
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

To use another model, append another object to models with its full public ID. For an image-capable model, add "input": ["text", "image"] only when Vision support is shown in the catalog.

3. Validate and select the model

openclaw config validate
openclaw models list --provider nordrouter
openclaw models set nordrouter/anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6

OpenClaw normally applies a valid configuration automatically. If the CLI says a restart is required, use the safe variant:

openclaw gateway restart --safe

Send a short message in a new chat. For diagnostics, run openclaw logs --follow.

Any other AI agent

If an app offers Custom provider, OpenAI Compatible, Custom OpenAI, or Chat Completions, use:

Field	Value
Provider	NordRouter or Custom OpenAI
Base URL	https://nordrouter.com/v1
API Key	your complete sk-nr-… key
Model	for example, anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6
API format	OpenAI Chat Completions

The app should append /chat/completions itself. Do not include that path in the Base URL.

When direct connection is impossible

If an app only supports signing in to an official OpenAI or Anthropic account and does not let you change the Base URL, it cannot connect directly to NordRouter. Do not paste your key into a field intended only for the official provider.

Supported capabilities

• regular and streaming responses;
• tool/function calling for agent actions;
• system messages and long context;
• reasoning controls on supported models;
• Vision on models marked accordingly in the catalog;
• one balance with request details in the dashboard.

A capability depends on both the model and the client. A Vision model cannot receive an image if the agent does not send images in the OpenAI-compatible format.

Safe first run

Hermes and OpenClaw can execute commands, modify files, and call external services. For the first test:

1. use a test folder without secrets;
2. enable approval for dangerous actions or a sandbox;
3. do not grant access to a production server;
4. start with a small task and inspect its cost in Activity;
5. add messaging channels, browser access, and extra skills only after the base model works.

Common errors

Error	What to check
401 Invalid API key	Use the complete sk-nr-… key, without sk-nr-sk-nr- or spaces
404 or /v1/v1/chat/completions	The Base URL must end in exactly one /v1
No pricing available for model	Use the full catalog ID, including the part before /
The model replies but tools fail	Select a modern tool-capable model and verify the client's API mode
The old model remains after editing config	Start a new session; in OpenClaw clear a pinned model with /model default
503 Service Unavailable	A particular model is usually temporarily unavailable; try another one and check status

First verify the key with the minimal request in the quickstart. If the direct request succeeds but the agent fails, its configuration is the problem.

Official documentation

• Hermes Agent: custom providers
• OpenClaw: model providers
• OpenClaw: configuration