Openrouter Typescript SDK

OpenRouter TypeScript SDK

A comprehensive TypeScript SDK for interacting with OpenRouter's unified API, providing access to 300+ AI models through a single, type-safe interface. This skill enables AI agents to leverage the callModel pattern for text generation, tool usage, streaming, and multi-turn conversations.

Installation

npm install @openrouter/sdk

Setup

Get your API key from openrouter.ai/settings/keys, then initialize:

import OpenRouter from '@openrouter/sdk';

const client = new OpenRouter({
  apiKey: process.env.OPENROUTER_API_KEY
});

Authentication

The SDK supports two authentication methods: API keys for server-side applications and OAuth PKCE flow for user-facing applications.

API Key Authentication

The primary authentication method uses API keys from your OpenRouter account.

Obtaining an API Key

1. Visit openrouter.ai/settings/keys
2. Create a new API key
3. Store securely in an environment variable

Environment Setup

export OPENROUTER_API_KEY=sk-or-v1-your-key-here

Client Initialization

import OpenRouter from '@openrouter/sdk';

const client = new OpenRouter({
  apiKey: process.env.OPENROUTER_API_KEY
});

The client automatically uses this key for all subsequent requests:

// API key is automatically included
const result = client.callModel({
  model: 'openai/gpt-5-nano',
  input: 'Hello!'
});

Get Current Key Metadata

Retrieve information about the currently configured API key:

const keyInfo = await client.apiKeys.getCurrentKeyMetadata();
console.log('Key name:', keyInfo.name);
console.log('Created:', keyInfo.createdAt);

API Key Management

Programmatically manage API keys:

// List all keys
const keys = await client.apiKeys.list();

// Create a new key
const newKey = await client.apiKeys.create({
  name: 'Production API Key'
});

// Get a specific key by hash
const key = await client.apiKeys.get({
  hash: 'sk-or-v1-...'
});

// Update a key
await client.apiKeys.update({
  hash: 'sk-or-v1-...',
  requestBody: {
    name: 'Updated Key Name'
  }
});

// Delete a key
await client.apiKeys.delete({
  hash: 'sk-or-v1-...'
});

OAuth Authentication (PKCE Flow)

For user-facing applications where users should control their own API keys, OpenRouter supports OAuth with PKCE (Proof Key for Code Exchange). This flow allows users to generate API keys through a browser authorization flow without your application handling their credentials.

createAuthCode

Generate an authorization code and URL to start the OAuth flow:

const authResponse = await client.oAuth.createAuthCode({
  callbackUrl: 'https://myapp.com/auth/callback'
});

// authResponse contains:
// - authorizationUrl: URL to redirect the user to
// - code: The authorization code for later exchange

console.log('Redirect user to:', authResponse.authorizationUrl);

Parameters:

Browser Redirect:

// In a browser environment
window.location.href = authResponse.authorizationUrl;

// Or in a server-rendered app, return a redirect response
res.redirect(authResponse.authorizationUrl);

exchangeAuthCodeForAPIKey

After the user authorizes your application, they are redirected back to your callback URL with an authorization code. Exchange this code for an API key:

// In your callback handler
const code = req.query.code;  // From the redirect URL

const apiKeyResponse = await client.oAuth.exchangeAuthCodeForAPIKey({
  code: code
});

// apiKeyResponse contains:
// - key: The user's API key
// - Additional metadata about the key

const userApiKey = apiKeyResponse.key;

// Store securely for this user's future requests
await saveUserApiKey(userId, userApiKey);

Parameters:

Complete OAuth Flow Example

import OpenRouter from '@openrouter/sdk';
import express from 'express';

const app = express();
const client = new OpenRouter({
  apiKey: process.env.OPENROUTER_API_KEY  // Your app's key for OAuth operations
});

// Step 1: Initiate OAuth flow
app.get('/auth/start', async (req, res) => {
  const authResponse = await client.oAuth.createAuthCode({
    callbackUrl: 'https://myapp.com/auth/callback'
  });

  // Store any state needed for the callback
  req.session.oauthState = { /* ... */ };

  // Redirect user to OpenRouter authorization page
  res.redirect(authResponse.authorizationUrl);
});

// Step 2: Handle callback and exchange code
app.get('/auth/callback', async (req, res) => {
  const { code } = req.query;

  if (!code) {
    return res.status(400).send('Authorization code missing');
  }

  try {
    const apiKeyResponse = await client.oAuth.exchangeAuthCodeForAPIKey({
      code: code as string
    });

    // Store the user's API key securely
    await saveUserApiKey(req.session.userId, apiKeyResponse.key);

    res.redirect('/dashboard?auth=success');
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('OAuth exchange failed:', error);
    res.redirect('/auth/error');
  }
});

// Step 3: Use the user's API key for their requests
app.post('/api/chat', async (req, res) => {
  const userApiKey = await getUserApiKey(req.session.userId);

  // Create a client with the user's key
  const userClient = new OpenRouter({
    apiKey: userApiKey
  });

  const result = userClient.callModel({
    model: 'openai/gpt-5-nano',
    input: req.body.message
  });

  const text = await result.getText();
  res.json({ response: text });
});

Security Best Practices

1. Environment Variables: Store API keys in environment variables, never in code
2. Key Rotation: Rotate keys periodically using the key management API
3. Environment Separation: Use different keys for development, staging, and production
4. OAuth for Users: Use the OAuth PKCE flow for user-facing apps to avoid handling user credentials
5. Secure Storage: Store user API keys encrypted in your database
6. Minimal Scope: Create keys with only the permissions needed

Core Concepts: callModel

The callModel function is the primary interface for text generation. It provides a unified, type-safe way to interact with any supported model.

Basic Usage

const result = client.callModel({
  model: 'openai/gpt-5-nano',
  input: 'Explain quantum computing in one sentence.',
});

const text = await result.getText();

Key Benefits

• Type-safe parameters with full IDE autocomplete
• Auto-generated from OpenAPI specs - automatically updates with new models
• Multiple consumption patterns - text, streaming, structured data
• Automatic tool execution with multi-turn support

Input Formats

The SDK accepts flexible input types for the input parameter:

String Input

A simple string becomes a user message:

const result = client.callModel({
  model: 'openai/gpt-5-nano',
  input: 'Hello, how are you?'
});

Message Arrays

For multi-turn conversations:

const result = client.callModel({
  model: 'openai/gpt-5-nano',
  input: [
    { role: 'user', content: 'What is the capital of France?' },
    { role: 'assistant', content: 'The capital of France is Paris.' },
    { role: 'user', content: 'What is its population?' }
  ]
});

Multimodal Content

Including images and text:

const result = client.callModel({
  model: 'openai/gpt-5-nano',
  input: [
    {
      role: 'user',
      content: [