Providers and Models
Choose default and feature models, configure provider keys or local endpoints, and diagnose connection failures.
Updated
Model settings choose where requests go. The selected connection determines whether usage is charged through Athas, a personal provider key, or a local server.
Default and feature models
Open Settings > AI and choose the Default model. New chats and other AI features use that connection unless a feature has an override. Expand Other features to choose separate models for new chats, inline edits, commit messages, titles, GitHub drafts or review assistance.
Tab completion has its own page and model choice. Its Automatic option resolves according to your available Athas or personal/local connection. Inspect the displayed model and provider before assuming a request stays on-device.
Personal provider keys
Open Settings > AI > Models & keys. Set the key for the provider you want to use, then select one of its available models. Athas includes OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, Gemini and xAI provider setup. Use the provider's official account console to create and manage keys; their access and billing are separate from your Athas subscription.
Keys are stored locally through secure storage. External agents have their own authentication; adding a provider key to Athas does not automatically sign every external CLI into its service.
Ollama
Install and run Ollama, then pull a model supported by your machine:
ollama pull <model-name>
ollama listConfigure the endpoint in Models & keys, then select the Ollama model. A local endpoint keeps model execution on that machine; an Ollama Cloud endpoint is a remote service and may need a key. Model availability, context size and tool support depend on the model and server.
Custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint
Configure Custom under Models & keys with:
- The exact model ID expected by your server.
- Its API base URL, such as
http://localhost:11434/v1. - An API key if the server requires bearer authentication.
Athas accepts an API root or full chat completions URL, such as
https://api.example.com/v1/chat/completions. The endpoint must implement the supported
OpenAI-compatible chat completions API. Custom model IDs are entered directly, not discovered automatically.
Select the custom connection in the default, feature or Tab completion model picker as needed.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Check |
|---|---|
| Authentication error | Correct provider, key validity and account permissions |
| Model not found | Exact model ID and endpoint URL |
| Local connection refused | Server running, host and port reachable |
| Hosted credit or cap error | Athas billing usage, available credit and monthly spending limit |
| Tool calls unavailable | Selected model and endpoint's tool-calling support |
| External agent login error | That agent's CLI login and account setup |
Never paste keys into a bug report or chat. AI overview explains hosted usage and Agent context describes which project information an agent receives.