The Vercel AI Gateway provides a unified API to
access hundreds of models through a single endpoint.
| Property | Value |
|---|
| Provider | vercel-ai-gateway |
| Auth | AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY |
| API | Anthropic Messages compatible |
| Model catalog | Auto-discovered via /v1/models |
OpenClaw auto-discovers the Gateway `/v1/models` catalog, so
`/models vercel-ai-gateway` includes current model refs such as
`vercel-ai-gateway/openai/gpt-5.5` and
`vercel-ai-gateway/moonshotai/kimi-k2.6`.
Getting started
Run onboarding and choose the AI Gateway auth option:
```bash
openclaw onboard --auth-choice ai-gateway-api-key
```
Add the model to your OpenClaw config:
```json5
{
agents: {
defaults: {
model: { primary: "vercel-ai-gateway/anthropic/claude-opus-4.6" },
},
},
}
```
```bash
openclaw models list --provider vercel-ai-gateway
```
Non-interactive example
For scripted or CI setups, pass all values on the command line:
openclaw onboard --non-interactive \
--mode local \
--auth-choice ai-gateway-api-key \
--ai-gateway-api-key "$AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY"
Model ID shorthand
OpenClaw accepts Vercel Claude shorthand model refs and normalizes them at
runtime:
| Shorthand input | Normalized model ref |
|---|
vercel-ai-gateway/claude-opus-4.6 | vercel-ai-gateway/anthropic/claude-opus-4.6 |
vercel-ai-gateway/opus-4.6 | vercel-ai-gateway/anthropic/claude-opus-4-6 |
You can use either the shorthand or the fully qualified model ref in your
configuration. OpenClaw resolves the canonical form automatically.
Advanced configuration
If the OpenClaw Gateway runs as a daemon (launchd/systemd), make sure
`AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY` is available to that process.
<Warning>
A key set only in `~/.profile` will not be visible to a launchd/systemd
daemon unless that environment is explicitly imported. Set the key in
`~/.openclaw/.env` or via `env.shellEnv` to ensure the gateway process can
read it.
</Warning>
Vercel AI Gateway routes requests to the upstream provider based on the model
ref prefix. For example, `vercel-ai-gateway/anthropic/claude-opus-4.6` routes
through Anthropic, while `vercel-ai-gateway/openai/gpt-5.5` routes through
OpenAI and `vercel-ai-gateway/moonshotai/kimi-k2.6` routes through
MoonshotAI. Your single `AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY` handles authentication for all
upstream providers.
`/think` options follow trusted upstream model prefixes when OpenClaw knows
the upstream provider contract. `vercel-ai-gateway/anthropic/...` uses the
Claude thinking profile, including adaptive defaults for Claude 4.6 models.
`vercel-ai-gateway/openai/gpt-5.4`, `gpt-5.5`, and Codex-style refs expose
`/think xhigh` just like the direct OpenAI/OpenAI Codex providers. Other
namespaced refs keep the normal reasoning levels unless their catalog
metadata declares more.
Choosing providers, model refs, and failover behavior.
General troubleshooting and FAQ.