# Openrouter Model Routing

> Implement intelligent model routing strategies with OpenRouter. Use when optimizing cost/quality tradeoffs across models. Trigger with phrases like 'openrouter routing', 'model selection', 'route requests', 'model routing strategy'.

- Skill: `micsapp/openrouter-model-routing` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 8 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add micsapp/openrouter-model-routing`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/micsapp/openrouter-model-routing/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- License: MIT
- Author: micsapp (https://skillmd.com/u/micsapp)
- Updated: 2026-09-08
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/micsapp/openrouter-model-routing

---

# Openrouter Model Routing

## Overview

This skill teaches you how to build intelligent routing logic that selects the best model based on task complexity, cost constraints, or latency requirements.

## Prerequisites

- OpenRouter integration with multiple models tested
- Understanding of model capabilities and pricing differences

## Instructions

1. **Classify request complexity**: Analyze the incoming prompt to determine if it needs a simple, mid-tier, or advanced model (e.g., by token count, keyword patterns, or task type)
2. **Build a routing table**: Map task categories to model IDs — e.g., simple Q&A to `google/gemma-2-9b-it:free`, code generation to `anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet`, reasoning to `openai/gpt-4-turbo`
3. **Implement the router function**: Create a function that takes a prompt and returns the appropriate model ID based on your classification logic
4. **Add cost guardrails**: Set per-request `max_tokens` and budget caps to prevent expensive models from exceeding cost limits
5. **Monitor and tune**: Log which model handles each request and track quality metrics to adjust routing thresholds over time

## Output

- A routing function that selects models based on task type and constraints
- Cost savings from using cheaper models for simple tasks
- Quality metrics per route to validate routing decisions

## Error Handling

| Error | Cause | Fix |
|-------|-------|-----|
| Wrong model selected | Classification logic too simple | Add more granular task categories; test with diverse prompts |
| Model unavailable | Selected model is temporarily down | Chain to fallback model (see openrouter-fallback-config) |
| Cost overrun | Complex tasks routed to expensive models | Set hard `max_tokens` limits and daily budget caps |

See `${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/errors.md` for full error reference.

## Examples

See `${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/examples.md` for runnable code samples.

## Resources

- [OpenRouter Documentation](https://openrouter.ai/docs)
- [OpenRouter Models](https://openrouter.ai/models)
- [OpenRouter API Reference](https://openrouter.ai/docs/api-reference)
- [OpenRouter Status](https://status.openrouter.ai)