---
summary: "Current model provider setup, registry rules, model metadata, and provider-to-agent flow for Fased."
read_when:
  - You need a provider-by-provider model setup reference
  - You want to understand Agent > Models, Chat, and Channels
  - You need local model setup through Ollama, LM Studio, vLLM, LiteLLM, or Custom Provider
title: "Model Providers"
---

# Model Providers

This page covers model providers, not chat channels like Telegram, Discord, or
WhatsApp. For model selection rules, see [/concepts/models](/concepts/models).

## One provider registry

Normal setup uses one Fased provider registry. Onboarding, CLI, **Agent > Models**,
Chat, and channel-routed Agents use the same list:

- same provider order
- same provider names
- same auth methods
- same route-compatible model lists
- same capability metadata

Old upstream/runtime providers are compatibility inputs only. They should not
appear as normal first-run choices unless they are added to the Fased provider
registry below.

## Current Provider Order

Signed-in providers can float to the top of Agent > Models provider controls,
but the default ordering is:

| Order | Provider        | Normal setup methods                                           |
| ----- | --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1     | OpenAI          | Sign in, API key                                               |
| 2     | Anthropic       | Sign in, Token, API key                                        |
| 3     | Chutes          | Sign in, API key                                               |
| 4     | Ollama          | Native URL and model                                           |
| 5     | LM Studio       | Local URL, optional token, and model key                       |
| 6     | vLLM            | Custom URL and model                                           |
| 7     | MiniMax         | Sign in, API key, API key CN, Highspeed API key                |
| 8     | Moonshot AI     | Kimi API key, Kimi CN API key, Kimi Code API key               |
| 9     | Google          | Gemini API key, Sign in                                        |
| 10    | xAI             | API key                                                        |
| 11    | Mistral AI      | API key                                                        |
| 12    | Volcano Engine  | API key                                                        |
| 13    | BytePlus        | API key                                                        |
| 14    | OpenRouter      | API key                                                        |
| 15    | Qwen            | Coding Plan API key, DashScope API key                         |
| 16    | Z.AI            | Coding Plan Global, Coding Plan CN, Global API key, CN API key |
| 17    | Qianfan         | API key                                                        |
| 18    | Copilot         | GitHub sign in, Proxy sign in                                  |
| 19    | Vercel AI       | API key                                                        |
| 20    | OpenCode Zen    | API key                                                        |
| 21    | Xiaomi          | API key                                                        |
| 22    | Synthetic       | API key                                                        |
| 23    | Together AI     | API key                                                        |
| 24    | Hugging Face    | Token                                                          |
| 25    | Venice AI       | API key                                                        |
| 26    | LiteLLM         | API key plus base URL when needed                              |
| 27    | Cloudflare AI   | API key plus gateway route                                     |
| 28    | Custom Provider | Base URL, model id, and optional key                           |

Qwen portal sign-in is not a normal setup method. Use Coding Plan or DashScope
API keys.

## Normal setup path

Use this path after onboarding:

1. **Agent > Models**: add a provider credential, sign in, paste an API key/token, or
   configure a local/manual endpoint.
2. In the same Agent > Models tab, choose that Agent's primary, fallback, and task
   model refs.
3. `/chat`: talk to the selected Agent. The model picker can override the model
   for the current chat session when the selected provider route is usable.
4. **Agent > Channels**: connect apps such as Telegram or Discord and route each channel
   account/topic/guild to the selected Agent.

The Agent owns model defaults, skills, services, memory, channels, tasks,
and wallet policy. Chat and channels both talk to an Agent; they are different
delivery surfaces for the same routeable setup.

```mermaid
flowchart TD
  A["Agent > Models"] --> B["Provider credential"]
  B --> C["Primary model"]
  C --> D["Fallback models"]
  D --> E["Chat"]
  D --> F["Channels"]
  D --> G["Tasks"]
```

## Model Metadata

Each recommended model should have capability metadata. The UI uses this data
to decide what to show in Chat:

- context window
- max output tokens
- input modes such as text or image
- output modes such as text, audio, speech, or video when known
- tool support
- JSON support
- thinking/reasoning mode
- supported thinking levels
- default thinking level
- private-network or manual setup requirements
- auth mode hints

Some providers expose this cleanly from their model catalogs. Others do not.
For local/manual providers, metadata can be curated or user-supplied. Unknown
metadata must stay explicit; the UI should not pretend a model supports
thinking, tools, images, speech, or video when the registry does not know.

## Provider Registry Refresh

Fased owns the normal setup provider manifest instead of blindly showing every
model returned by an upstream runtime catalog:

```bash
fased providers refresh
fased providers refresh --write-review
fased providers refresh --wizard
fased providers refresh --no-network
```

The refresh is review-first. It reports new models, source-missing routes, and
capability changes. It must not silently delete curated models or break existing
Agent configs.

Apply only after review:

```bash
fased providers refresh --apply
```

Manual model edits are separate from live refresh:

```bash
fased providers models list
fased providers models list --provider custom

fased providers models add \
  --provider custom \
  --model my-local-model \
  --base-url http://127.0.0.1:8000/v1 \
  --api openai-completions \
  --context-window 128000 \
  --max-tokens 4096 \
  --reasoning \
  --tools \
  --json

fased providers models remove --provider custom --model my-local-model
```

`providers models add/remove` edits configured provider entries for the current
installation. `providers refresh` updates the shared curated registry only after
review or explicit apply.

## Local Models

Use one of the registry-supported local/manual routes:

- **Ollama**: local, tailnet, or Ollama Cloud setup with the native `/api/chat`
  path.
- **LM Studio**: local model discovery from LM Studio, usually on
  `localhost:1234`.
- **vLLM**: a vLLM server exposed as a first-class local provider.
- **LiteLLM**: multiple models routed through a LiteLLM gateway.
- **Cloudflare AI**: Cloudflare AI Gateway routing.
- **Custom Provider**: another OpenAI-compatible or Anthropic-compatible
  endpoint, including SGLang.

Ollama is native in Fased. Use `http://127.0.0.1:11434`, not `/v1`. LM Studio is
OpenAI-compatible and normally uses `http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1`. SGLang stays
under **Custom Provider** or vLLM-compatible setup unless Fased adds a dedicated
provider card later.

## Credential rotation

For normal use, add multiple credentials as auth profiles in **Agent > Models**
or with the models auth CLI. Fased orders those profiles, skips profiles in
cooldown, and rotates only for failover-worthy provider errors. See
[/concepts/model-failover](/concepts/model-failover).

Single environment variables such as `OPENAI_API_KEY`, `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`, and
provider-specific API key variables can still back a credential or compatibility
provider config. They are not the preferred way to manage multiple user-facing
profiles.

## Advanced Compatibility

Raw config may still contain legacy runtime providers or provider adapters for
existing installations. That compatibility layer is not the normal setup path.
For normal users, use Agent > Models, Chat, and Agent > Channels with the current
provider registry above.
