Add model providers

Aegis needs at least one model provider before agents can run. You can use local models, hosted providers, or both.

Choose A Provider Strategy

Use local providers when:

privacy matters;
the task is small enough for local hardware;
you want predictable local execution;
you are experimenting without remote API cost.

Use hosted providers when:

the task needs stronger reasoning;
the context is large;
a specific model capability is required;
local models are too slow or unavailable.

Add Provider Credentials

Open settings.
Go to model/provider settings or secrets.
Add the provider key.
Set the provider name and expected environment variable when needed.
Save the secret.
Check the secret status.

Provider keys are stored as local secret material. API responses should show metadata and redacted previews, not raw values.

Configure Local Models

For Ollama or another local runtime:

Install the runtime.
Pull the model you want to use.
Start the local model service.
Confirm it responds from the terminal.
Open Aegis provider settings.
Select the local provider and model.
Run a health check or provider smoke check.

Example:

ollama list

Configure Hosted Models

For hosted providers:

Create or locate the provider API key.
Add it to Aegis secrets.
Choose the provider in model settings.
Select a default model for coordinator and worker roles.
Run a health check.
Run a small workflow.

Use Model Routing

Model routing controls which provider/model Aegis chooses for a role or task.

Start simple:

coordinator: stronger reasoning model;
coding: coding-capable model;
research: model with enough context;
verifier or extraction: smaller model when reliable;
privacy-sensitive work: local-only provider.

Verify The Provider

Run a provider smoke check after adding or changing providers:

npm run smoke:providers

Also use the provider smoke runbook when a provider fails in a real workflow.