# How to integrate Openrouter MCP with Claude Code

```json
{
  "title": "How to integrate Openrouter MCP with Claude Code",
  "toolkit": "Openrouter",
  "toolkit_slug": "openrouter",
  "framework": "Claude Code",
  "framework_slug": "claude-code",
  "url": "https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/claude-code",
  "markdown_url": "https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/claude-code.md",
  "updated_at": "2026-05-12T10:20:56.035Z"
}
```

## Introduction

Manage your Openrouter directly from Claude Code with zero worries about OAuth hassles, API-breaking issues, or reliability and security concerns.
You can do this in two different ways:
- Via [Composio Connect](https://dashboard.composio.dev/login?utm_source=toolkits&utm_medium=framework_template&utm_campaign=claude-code&utm_content=composio_connect&next=%2F~%2Forg%2Fconnect%2Fclients%2Fclaude-code) - Direct and easiest approach
- Via [Composio SDK](https://docs.composio.dev/docs?utm_source=toolkits&utm_medium=framework_template&utm_campaign=claude-code&utm_content=composio_sdk) - Programmatic approach with more control

## Also integrate Openrouter with

- [ChatGPT](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/chatgpt)
- [OpenAI Agents SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/open-ai-agents-sdk)
- [Claude Agent SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/claude-agents-sdk)
- [Claude Cowork](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/claude-cowork)
- [Codex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/codex)
- [Cursor](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/cursor)
- [VS Code](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/vscode)
- [OpenCode](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/opencode)
- [OpenClaw](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/openclaw)
- [Hermes](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/hermes-agent)
- [CLI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/cli)
- [Google ADK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/google-adk)
- [LangChain](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/langchain)
- [Vercel AI SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/ai-sdk)
- [Mastra AI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/mastra-ai)
- [LlamaIndex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/llama-index)
- [CrewAI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/crew-ai)

## TL;DR

- Only one MCP URL to connect multiple apps with Claude Code with zero auth hassles.
- Programmatic tool calling allows LLMs to write its code in a remote workbench to handle complex tool chaining. Reduces to-and-fro with LLMs for frequent tool calling.
- Handling Large tool responses out of LLM context to minimize context rot.
- Dynamic just-in-time access to 20,000 tools across 1000+ other Apps for cross-app workflows. It loads the tools you need, so LLMs aren't overwhelmed by tools you don't need.

## Connect Openrouter to Claude Code

### Connecting Openrouter to Claude Code using Composio
1. Add the Composio MCP to Claude

```bash
claude mcp add --scope user --transport http composio https://connect.composio.dev/mcp
```

## What is Claude Code?

Claude Code is Anthropic's command line developer tool that lets you use Claude directly inside your terminal. Instead of switching between your editor, browser, and chat, you can stay in your project folder and ask Claude to help you build, debug, refactor, and understand code right where you're working.
Key features include:
- Terminal-Native Experience: Work with Claude directly in your command line without switching contexts
- MCP Support: Built-in support for Model Context Protocol servers to extend Claude's capabilities
- Project Context: Claude understands your project structure and can read, write, and modify files
- Interactive Development: Ask questions, debug code, and get help in real-time while coding
- Multi-Platform: Works on macOS, Linux, WSL, and Windows

## What is the Openrouter MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Openrouter MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Openrouter account. It provides structured and secure access to a wide range of large language models, so your agent can generate completions, manage model access, check credits, and retrieve generation details seamlessly on your behalf.
- Unified model completions: Let your agent generate chat-based or text completions using any model available through Openrouter, perfect for conversation or content creation tasks.
- Model catalog and provider discovery: Ask your agent to list all available AI models and providers, helping you compare capabilities, endpoints, and pricing in real time.
- Credit monitoring and usage tracking: Have your agent fetch your current API credit balance, so you always know your usage limits before starting new tasks.
- Generation result retrieval: Direct your agent to pull detailed metadata for any previous generation, including token counts, costs, and latency for analysis or auditing.
- Endpoint and configuration info: Empower your agent to fetch the latest model endpoints and supported parameters, making it easy to fine-tune routing and optimize performance.

## Supported Tools

| Tool slug | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `OPENROUTER_CREATE_CHAT_COMPLETION` | Create Chat Completion | Tool to generate a chat-style completion. Use after assembling messages and selecting a model. Supports streaming and function calls. Response format varies across models; use explicit prompt instructions to standardize output. Provider-level rate limits and moderation policies differ per model. |
| `OPENROUTER_CREATE_COINBASE_CHARGE` | Create Coinbase Charge | Tool to create a Coinbase charge for crypto payment to add credits to your OpenRouter account. Use when you need to purchase credits using cryptocurrency. Returns calldata needed to fulfill the transaction on the specified blockchain. |
| `OPENROUTER_CREATE_MESSAGE` | Create Message (Anthropic Format) | Tool to create a message using Anthropic Messages API format via OpenRouter. Use when you need Claude-compatible chat completion with support for text, images, PDFs, tools, and extended thinking. |
| `OPENROUTER_GET_CREDITS` | Get Credits | Tool to get the current API credit balance for the authenticated user. Use before large or batch jobs to verify sufficient balance. A successful response may return total_credits=0, which confirms authentication but will cause all paid model generations to fail. Avoid polling this endpoint; call only as needed. |
| `OPENROUTER_GET_CURRENT_KEY` | Get Current Key | Tool to get information about the currently authenticated API key. Use to check usage limits, spending, and key metadata. |
| `OPENROUTER_GET_GENERATION` | Get Generation | Tool to retrieve a generation result by its unique ID. Use after a generation completes to fetch metadata like token counts, cost, and latency. |
| `OPENROUTER_GET_MODELS_COUNT` | Get Models Count | Tool to get the total count of available models on OpenRouter. Use when you need to know how many models are available without fetching the full list. |
| `OPENROUTER_LIST_AVAILABLE_MODELS` | List Available Models | Tool to list available models via OpenRouter API. Use after confirming authentication to fetch the model catalog. Use exact model IDs returned here in OPENROUTER_CREATE_CHAT_COMPLETION or OPENROUTER_CREATE_COMPLETION calls — hard-coded IDs may break when the catalog changes. Use exact author and slug values from this response as inputs to OPENROUTER_LIST_MODEL_ENDPOINTS. Models have varying capabilities (e.g., tools, reasoning); verify individual model capabilities before downstream use. Pricing and latency metadata may be null or approximate — handle missing values in routing logic. |
| `OPENROUTER_LIST_EMBEDDING_MODELS` | List Embedding Models | Tool to list all available embeddings models via OpenRouter API. Returns a list of embeddings models with their properties including architecture, pricing, and capabilities. |
| `OPENROUTER_LIST_MODEL_ENDPOINTS` | OpenRouter List Model Endpoints | Tool to list endpoints for a specific model. Use after specifying model author and slug to get endpoint details including pricing, context length, and supported parameters. Some metadata fields (e.g., latency, pricing) may be null or approximate; handle missing values in routing logic. |
| `OPENROUTER_LIST_PROVIDERS` | OpenRouter List Providers | Tool to list all AI model providers available through the OpenRouter API. Use after authentication to retrieve available provider options for routing configuration. Providers differ in latency, context window sizes, and rate limits — switching providers affects these constraints. Newly added providers may not appear immediately due to catalog propagation delays. |
| `OPENROUTER_LIST_USER_MODELS` | List User Models | Tool to list models filtered by user provider preferences, privacy settings, and guardrails. Use after authenticating to get models tailored to the user's configuration. |
| `OPENROUTER_LIST_ZDR_ENDPOINTS` | OpenRouter List ZDR Endpoints | Tool to preview the impact of Zero Data Retention (ZDR) on the available endpoints. Use to see which model endpoints remain accessible when ZDR is enabled. |

## Supported Triggers

None listed.

## Creating MCP Server - Stand-alone vs Composio SDK

The Openrouter MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects Claude Code (and other AI assistants like Claude and Cursor) directly to your Openrouter account. It provides structured and secure access so Claude can perform Openrouter operations on your behalf.
With Composio's managed implementation, you don't have to create your own developer app. For production, if you're building an end product, we recommend using your own credentials. The managed server helps you prototype fast and go from 0-1 faster.

## Step-by-step Guide

### 1. Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:
- Claude Pro, Max, or API billing enabled Anthropic account
- Composio API Key
- A Openrouter account
- Basic knowledge of Python or TypeScript

### 1. Install Claude Code

To install Claude Code, use one of the following methods based on your operating system:
```bash
# macOS, Linux, WSL
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

# Windows PowerShell
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

# Windows CMD
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd
```

### 2. Set up Claude Code

Open a terminal, go to your project folder, and start Claude Code:
- Claude Code will open in your terminal
- Follow the prompts to sign in with your Anthropic account
- Complete the authentication flow
- Once authenticated, you can start using Claude Code
```bash
cd your-project-folder
claude
```

### 3. Set up environment variables

Create a .env file in your project root with the following variables:
- COMPOSIO_API_KEY authenticates with Composio (get it from [Composio dashboard](https://dashboard.composio.dev/login?utm_source=toolkits&utm_medium=framework_template&utm_campaign=claude-code&utm_content=api_key&next=%2F~%2Forg%2Fconnect%2Fclients%2Fclaude-code))
- USER_ID identifies the user for session management (use any unique identifier)
```bash
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_composio_api_key_here
USER_ID=your_user_id_here
```

### 4. Install Composio library

No description provided.
```python
pip install composio-core python-dotenv
```

```typescript
npm install @composio/core dotenv
```

### 5. Generate Composio MCP URL

No description provided.
```python
import os
from composio import Composio
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

COMPOSIO_API_KEY = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
USER_ID = os.getenv("USER_ID")

composio_client = Composio(api_key=COMPOSIO_API_KEY)

composio_session = composio_client.create(
    user_id=USER_ID,
    toolkits=["openrouter"],
)

COMPOSIO_MCP_URL = composio_session.mcp.url

print(f"MCP URL: {COMPOSIO_MCP_URL}")
print(f"\nUse this command to add to Claude Code:")
print(f'claude mcp add --transport http openrouter-composio "{COMPOSIO_MCP_URL}" --headers "X-API-Key:{COMPOSIO_API_KEY}"')
```

```typescript
import 'dotenv/config';
import { Composio } from '@composio/core';

const { COMPOSIO_API_KEY, USER_ID } = process.env;

if (!COMPOSIO_API_KEY || !USER_ID) {
  throw new Error('COMPOSIO_API_KEY and USER_ID required in .env');
}

const composioClient = new Composio({ apiKey: COMPOSIO_API_KEY });

const composioSession = await composioClient.create(USER_ID, {
  toolkits: ['openrouter'],
});

const composioMcpUrl = composioSession?.mcp.url;

console.log(`MCP URL: ${composioMcpUrl}`);
console.log(`\nUse this command to add to Claude Code:`);
console.log(`claude mcp add --transport http openrouter-composio "${composioMcpUrl}" --headers "X-API-Key:${COMPOSIO_API_KEY}"`);
```

### 6. Run the script and copy the MCP URL

No description provided.
```python
python generate_mcp_url.py
```

```typescript
node --loader ts-node/esm generate_mcp_url.ts
# or if using tsx
tsx generate_mcp_url.ts
```

### 7. Add Openrouter MCP to Claude Code

In your terminal, add the MCP server using the command from the previous step. The command format is:
- claude mcp add registers a new MCP server with Claude Code
- --transport http specifies that this is an HTTP-based MCP server
- The server name (openrouter-composio) is how you'll reference it
- The URL points to your Composio Tool Router session
- --headers includes your Composio API key for authentication
After running the command, close the current Claude Code session and start a new one for the changes to take effect.
```bash
claude mcp add --transport http openrouter-composio "YOUR_MCP_URL_HERE" --headers "X-API-Key:YOUR_COMPOSIO_API_KEY"

# Then restart Claude Code
exit
claude
```

### 8. Verify the installation

Check that your Openrouter MCP server is properly configured.
- This command lists all MCP servers registered with Claude Code
- You should see your openrouter-composio entry in the list
- This confirms that Claude Code can now access Openrouter tools
If everything is wired up, you should see your openrouter-composio entry listed:
```bash
claude mcp list
```

### 9. Authenticate Openrouter

The first time you try to use Openrouter tools, you'll be prompted to authenticate.
- Claude Code will detect that you need to authenticate with Openrouter
- It will show you an authentication link
- Open the link in your browser (or copy/paste it)
- Complete the Openrouter authorization flow
- Return to the terminal and start using Openrouter through Claude Code
Once authenticated, you can ask Claude Code to perform Openrouter operations in natural language. For example:
- "Generate Python code from this prompt"
- "Summarize this article using Claude-3"
- "List all available Llama-3 model endpoints"

## Complete Code

```python
import os
from composio import Composio
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

COMPOSIO_API_KEY = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
USER_ID = os.getenv("USER_ID")

composio_client = Composio(api_key=COMPOSIO_API_KEY)

composio_session = composio_client.create(
    user_id=USER_ID,
    toolkits=["openrouter"],
)

COMPOSIO_MCP_URL = composio_session.mcp.url

print(f"MCP URL: {COMPOSIO_MCP_URL}")
print(f"\nUse this command to add to Claude Code:")
print(f'claude mcp add --transport http openrouter-composio "{COMPOSIO_MCP_URL}" --headers "X-API-Key:{COMPOSIO_API_KEY}"')
```

```typescript
import 'dotenv/config';
import { Composio } from '@composio/core';

const { COMPOSIO_API_KEY, USER_ID } = process.env;

if (!COMPOSIO_API_KEY || !USER_ID) {
  throw new Error('COMPOSIO_API_KEY and USER_ID required in .env');
}

const composioClient = new Composio({ apiKey: COMPOSIO_API_KEY });

const composioSession = await composioClient.create(USER_ID, {
  toolkits: ['openrouter'],
});

const composioMcpUrl = composioSession?.mcp.url;

console.log(`MCP URL: ${composioMcpUrl}`);
console.log(`\nUse this command to add to Claude Code:`);
console.log(`claude mcp add --transport http openrouter-composio "${composioMcpUrl}" --headers "X-API-Key:${COMPOSIO_API_KEY}"`);
```

## Conclusion

You've successfully integrated Openrouter with Claude Code using Composio's MCP server. Now you can interact with Openrouter directly from your terminal using natural language commands.
Key features of this setup:
- Terminal-native experience without switching contexts
- Natural language commands for Openrouter operations
- Secure authentication through Composio's managed MCP
- Tool Router for dynamic tool discovery and execution
Next steps:
- Try asking Claude Code to perform various Openrouter operations
- Add more toolkits to your Tool Router session for multi-app workflows
- Integrate this setup into your development workflow for increased productivity
You can extend this by adding more toolkits, implementing custom workflows, or building automation scripts that leverage Claude Code's capabilities.

## How to build Openrouter MCP Agent with another framework

- [ChatGPT](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/chatgpt)
- [OpenAI Agents SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/open-ai-agents-sdk)
- [Claude Agent SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/claude-agents-sdk)
- [Claude Cowork](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/claude-cowork)
- [Codex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/codex)
- [Cursor](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/cursor)
- [VS Code](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/vscode)
- [OpenCode](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/opencode)
- [OpenClaw](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/openclaw)
- [Hermes](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/hermes-agent)
- [CLI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/cli)
- [Google ADK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/google-adk)
- [LangChain](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/langchain)
- [Vercel AI SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/ai-sdk)
- [Mastra AI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/mastra-ai)
- [LlamaIndex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/llama-index)
- [CrewAI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/openrouter/framework/crew-ai)

## Related Toolkits

- [Composio](https://composio.dev/toolkits/composio) - Composio is an integration platform that connects AI agents with hundreds of business tools. It streamlines authentication and lets you trigger actions across services—no custom code needed.
- [Composio search](https://composio.dev/toolkits/composio_search) - Composio search is a unified web search toolkit spanning travel, e-commerce, news, financial markets, images, and more. It lets you and your apps tap into up-to-date web data from a single, easy-to-integrate service.
- [Perplexityai](https://composio.dev/toolkits/perplexityai) - Perplexityai delivers natural, conversational AI models for generating human-like text. Instantly get context-aware, high-quality responses for chat, search, or complex workflows.
- [Browser tool](https://composio.dev/toolkits/browser_tool) - Browser tool is a virtual browser integration that lets AI agents interact with the web programmatically. It enables automated browsing, scraping, and action-taking from any AI workflow.
- [Ai ml api](https://composio.dev/toolkits/ai_ml_api) - Ai ml api is a suite of AI/ML models for natural language and image tasks. It provides fast, scalable access to advanced AI capabilities for your apps and workflows.
- [Aivoov](https://composio.dev/toolkits/aivoov) - Aivoov is an AI-powered text-to-speech platform offering 1,000+ voices in over 150 languages. Instantly turn written content into natural, human-like audio for any application.
- [All images ai](https://composio.dev/toolkits/all_images_ai) - All-Images.ai is an AI-powered image generation and management platform. It helps you create, search, and organize images effortlessly with advanced AI capabilities.
- [Anthropic administrator](https://composio.dev/toolkits/anthropic_administrator) - Anthropic administrator is an API for managing Anthropic organizational resources like members, workspaces, and API keys. It helps you automate admin tasks and streamline resource management across your Anthropic organization.
- [Api labz](https://composio.dev/toolkits/api_labz) - Api labz is a platform offering a suite of AI-driven APIs and workflow tools. It helps developers automate tasks and build smarter, more efficient applications.
- [Apipie ai](https://composio.dev/toolkits/apipie_ai) - Apipie ai is an AI model aggregator offering a single API for accessing top AI models from multiple providers. It helps developers build cost-efficient, latency-optimized AI solutions without juggling multiple integrations.
- [Astica ai](https://composio.dev/toolkits/astica_ai) - Astica ai provides APIs for computer vision, NLP, and voice synthesis. Integrate advanced AI features into your app with a single API key.
- [Bigml](https://composio.dev/toolkits/bigml) - BigML is a machine learning platform that lets you build, train, and deploy predictive models from your data. Its intuitive interface and robust API make machine learning accessible and efficient.
- [Botbaba](https://composio.dev/toolkits/botbaba) - Botbaba is a platform for building, managing, and deploying conversational AI chatbots across messaging channels. It streamlines chatbot automation, making it easier to integrate AI into customer interactions.
- [Botpress](https://composio.dev/toolkits/botpress) - Botpress is an open-source platform for building, deploying, and managing chatbots. It helps teams automate conversations and deliver rich, interactive messaging experiences.
- [Chatbotkit](https://composio.dev/toolkits/chatbotkit) - Chatbotkit is a platform for building and managing AI-powered chatbots using robust APIs and SDKs. It lets you easily add conversational AI to your apps for better user engagement.
- [Cody](https://composio.dev/toolkits/cody) - Cody is an AI assistant built for businesses, trained on your company's knowledge and data. It delivers instant answers and insights, tailored for your team.
- [Context7 MCP](https://composio.dev/toolkits/context7_mcp) - Context7 MCP delivers live, version-specific code docs and examples right from the source. It helps developers and AI agents instantly retrieve authoritative programming info—no more out-of-date docs.
- [Customgpt](https://composio.dev/toolkits/customgpt) - CustomGPT.ai lets you build and deploy chatbots tailored to your own data and business needs. Get precise and context-aware AI conversations without writing code.
- [Datarobot](https://composio.dev/toolkits/datarobot) - Datarobot is a machine learning platform that automates model development, deployment, and monitoring. It empowers organizations to quickly gain predictive insights from large datasets.
- [Deepgram](https://composio.dev/toolkits/deepgram) - Deepgram is an AI-powered speech recognition platform for accurate audio transcription and understanding. It enables fast, scalable speech-to-text with advanced audio intelligence features.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Openrouter MCP?

With a standalone Openrouter MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Openrouter tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Openrouter and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

### Can I use Tool Router MCP with Claude Code?

Yes, you can. Claude Code fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Openrouter tools.

### Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Openrouter while using Tool Router?

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Openrouter scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

### How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Openrouter data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

---
[See all toolkits](https://composio.dev/toolkits) · [Composio docs](https://docs.composio.dev/llms.txt)