API Keys

Environment Variables

llms.py uses environment variables to securely store API keys. Set the appropriate variables for the providers you want to use:

Free Tier Providers

Provider	Variable	Description	Example
openrouter_free	`OPENROUTER_API_KEY`	OpenRouter FREE models API key	`sk-or-...`
groq	`GROQ_API_KEY`	Groq API key	`gsk_...`
google_free	`GOOGLE_FREE_API_KEY`	Google FREE API key	`AIza...`
codestral	`CODESTRAL_API_KEY`	Codestral API key	`...`
ollama	N/A	No API key required

Premium Providers

Provider	Variable	Description	Example
openrouter	`OPENROUTER_API_KEY`	OpenRouter API key	`sk-or-...`
google	`GOOGLE_API_KEY`	Google API key	`AIza...`
anthropic	`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`	Anthropic API key	`sk-ant-...`
openai	`OPENAI_API_KEY`	OpenAI API key	`sk-...`
grok	`GROK_API_KEY`	Grok (X.AI) API key	`xai-...`
qwen	`DASHSCOPE_API_KEY`	Qwen (Alibaba) API key	`sk-...`
z.ai	`ZAI_API_KEY`	Z.ai API key	`sk-...`
mistral	`MISTRAL_API_KEY`	Mistral API key	`...`

Setting Environment Variables

Linux/macOS

Add to your ~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, or ~/.profile:

export OPENROUTER_API_KEY="sk-or-..."
export GROQ_API_KEY="gsk_..."
export GOOGLE_FREE_API_KEY="AIza..."

Then reload your shell:

source ~/.bashrc  # or ~/.zshrc

Windows (PowerShell)

$env:OPENROUTER_API_KEY="sk-or-..."
$env:GROQ_API_KEY="gsk_..."

For permanent settings, use System Properties > Environment Variables.

Docker

Pass environment variables when running the container:

docker run -p 8000:8000 \
  -e OPENROUTER_API_KEY="sk-or-..." \
  -e GROQ_API_KEY="gsk_..." \
  -e GOOGLE_FREE_API_KEY="AIza..." \
  ghcr.io/servicestack/llms:latest

Or use a .env file with docker compose:

# .env file
OPENROUTER_API_KEY=sk-or-...
GROQ_API_KEY=gsk_...
GOOGLE_FREE_API_KEY=AIza...

Direct Configuration

Alternatively, you can set API keys directly in ~/.llms/llms.json:

{
  "providers": {
    "groq": {
      "api_key": "gsk_your_actual_key_here"
    }
  }
}

Obtaining API Keys

OpenRouter

Visit openrouter.ai
Sign up for an account
Navigate to API Keys section
Create a new API key

Groq

Visit console.groq.com
Sign up for an account
Go to API Keys
Generate a new key

Google AI Studio

Visit aistudio.google.com
Sign in with Google account
Click “Get API Key”
Create a new API key

OpenAI

Visit platform.openai.com
Sign up or log in
Navigate to API Keys
Create a new secret key

Anthropic

Visit console.anthropic.com
Sign up for an account
Go to API Keys
Generate a new key

Verifying API Keys

After setting your API keys, verify they work:

# List available providers and models
llms ls

# Check specific provider
llms --check groq

Next Steps

Configuration - Configure providers and models
Providers - Learn about supported providers