How to Configure ClawRouter with Continue

ClawRouter is an open-source LLM router that automatically selects the cheapest capable model for each request based on prompt complexity, providing 78-96% cost savings.

Get started with ClawRouter on GitHub

Installation

ClawRouter runs locally and provides an OpenAI-compatible API:

npx clawrouter

This starts the router at http://localhost:1337.

You can also install it globally:

npm install -g clawrouter
clawrouter

Configuration

name: My Config
version: 0.0.1
schema: v1

models:
  - name: ClawRouter Auto
    provider: clawrouter
    model: blockrun/auto
    apiBase: http://localhost:1337/v1/

Available Models

ClawRouter provides four routing profiles:

Model	Savings	Description	Best For
`blockrun/auto`	74-100%	Balanced routing based on prompt complexity	General use (recommended)
`blockrun/eco`	95-100%	Cheapest possible models	Maximum savings
`blockrun/premium`	0%	Best quality models (Opus, GPT-5.4 Pro)	Mission-critical tasks
`blockrun/free`	100%	Free-tier models only (nvidia/gpt-oss-120b)	Zero cost testing

You can also specify any of the 44+ models directly (e.g., anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6, openai/gpt-5.4, xai/grok-4).

How It Works

ClawRouter uses a 15-dimension prompt complexity scoring system to analyze each request:

Simple requests (greetings, basic Q&A, simple edits) → routed to cheap models like Claude Haiku or Gemini Flash
Medium requests (code explanations, refactoring) → routed to balanced models like Claude Sonnet or GPT-4o-mini
Complex requests (architecture design, complex debugging) → routed to capable models like Claude Opus or GPT-4o

This automatic routing provides significant cost savings while maintaining quality for complex tasks.

Complexity Dimensions

The router analyzes prompts across dimensions including:

Code complexity and language detection
Reasoning depth required
Context length and dependencies
Domain expertise needed
Output format requirements

Model Capabilities

ClawRouter supports function calling and tool use through its underlying model providers. Capabilities are automatically inherited from the routed model.

models:
  - name: ClawRouter Auto
    provider: clawrouter
    model: blockrun/auto
    apiBase: http://localhost:1337/v1/
    capabilities:
      - tool_use

Switching Between Routing Profiles

Add multiple ClawRouter profiles to your config and switch via Continue's model picker:

models:
  # Default: automatic routing
  - name: ClawRouter Auto
    provider: clawrouter
    model: blockrun/auto
    apiBase: http://localhost:1337/v1/

  # Maximum savings
  - name: ClawRouter Eco  
    provider: clawrouter
    model: blockrun/eco
    apiBase: http://localhost:1337/v1/

  # Best quality
  - name: ClawRouter Premium
    provider: clawrouter
    model: blockrun/premium
    apiBase: http://localhost:1337/v1/

  # Zero cost
  - name: ClawRouter Free
    provider: clawrouter
    model: blockrun/free
    apiBase: http://localhost:1337/v1/

Use the model picker dropdown in Continue's chat panel to switch between profiles. Each profile routes to different model tiers based on cost vs. quality trade-offs.

Quick switch via CLI: In the Continue chat, type /model followed by the profile name (e.g., /model ClawRouter Eco).

Custom API Base

If you're running ClawRouter on a different port or host:

models:
  - name: ClawRouter
    provider: clawrouter
    model: blockrun/auto
    apiBase: http://your-server:8080/v1/

Using Multiple Roles

You can configure ClawRouter for different Continue roles:

models:
  - name: ClawRouter Auto
    provider: clawrouter
    model: blockrun/auto
    apiBase: http://localhost:1337/v1/
    roles:
      - chat
      - edit
      - apply

  - name: ClawRouter Eco
    provider: clawrouter
    model: blockrun/eco
    apiBase: http://localhost:1337/v1/
    roles:
      - autocomplete

API Keys

ClawRouter manages upstream provider API keys internally. You configure them in ClawRouter, not in Continue.

For self-hosted setups with custom authentication:

models:
  - name: ClawRouter
    provider: clawrouter
    model: blockrun/auto
    apiBase: http://localhost:1337/v1/
    apiKey: ${{ secrets.CLAWROUTER_API_KEY }}

Wallet & Payment Setup

ClawRouter supports crypto-native payments via the x402 protocol. On first run, ClawRouter automatically generates a wallet:

npx clawrouter
# Wallet created: 5g3cB6...
# Fund your wallet to access premium models

Payment Options

Tier	Description	Payment Required
`blockrun/free`	Free-tier models only	No
`blockrun/eco`	Economy models	Yes (low cost)
`blockrun/auto`	Automatic routing	Yes (pay-per-use)

Funding Your Wallet

ClawRouter supports both Solana and EVM wallets:

# Check wallet balance
clawrouter wallet

# View wallet address
clawrouter wallet address

Fund your wallet with USDC on Solana or Base for the lowest fees. ClawRouter uses the x402 Payment Required protocol for seamless micropayments.

Start with blockrun/free tier to test without payment, then upgrade to blockrun/auto for full model access.

Spend Controls

Set daily/monthly spending limits:

# Set daily limit to $5
clawrouter config set spendLimit.daily 5

# Set monthly limit to $50  
clawrouter config set spendLimit.monthly 50

Error Handling

ClawRouter handles common LLM errors automatically at the router level:

Automatic Error Recovery

Error	Continue's Default	ClawRouter's Handling
429 Rate Limit	Retry same provider with backoff	Route to different provider entirely
402 Payment Required	Fail immediately	x402 auto-payment from wallet
500+ Server Error	Retry same provider	Fallback to next model in tier
Timeout	Retry same provider	Route to faster model

Response Headers

ClawRouter adds diagnostic headers to every response:

x-clawrouter-model: anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6
x-clawrouter-tier: MEDIUM  
x-clawrouter-cost: 0.0045
x-clawrouter-fallback: false

When a fallback occurs:

x-clawrouter-model: openai/gpt-4o-mini
x-clawrouter-fallback: true
x-clawrouter-original-model: anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6
x-clawrouter-fallback-reason: 429_rate_limit

Troubleshooting

Connection Refused

If you see connection errors, make sure ClawRouter is running:

# Check if ClawRouter is running
curl http://localhost:1337/v1/models

# Start ClawRouter if needed
npx clawrouter

Model Not Found

If a specific model isn't available, check that ClawRouter has the required provider API keys configured. Run clawrouter --help for configuration options.

ClawRouter adds minimal latency (~10-50ms) for routing decisions. If responses are slow, the issue is likely with the upstream provider. Try a different model tier (blockrun/eco vs blockrun/auto).

AI-Powered Diagnostics

Run the doctor command for AI-analyzed troubleshooting:

# Basic diagnostics with Claude Sonnet (~$0.003)
npx clawrouter doctor

# Complex issues with Claude Opus (~$0.01)  
npx clawrouter doctor opus

# Ask a specific question
npx clawrouter doctor "why are my requests failing?"

The doctor collects system info, wallet status, network connectivity, and sends to Claude for analysis.

Cost Monitoring

ClawRouter provides cost tracking via response headers:

x-clawrouter-cost — Cost of the request
x-clawrouter-model — Model that handled the request
x-clawrouter-complexity — Computed complexity score

You can view aggregated costs with:

curl http://localhost:1337/stats

Dual-Chain Wallet Support

ClawRouter supports payments on two chains from a single wallet:

Chain	Token	Best For
Base (EVM)	USDC	Lower fees, Coinbase integration
Solana	USDC	Fastest settlement

Switch chains via CLI:

# Switch to Solana payments
clawrouter wallet solana

# Switch to Base (EVM) payments  
clawrouter wallet base

# Check balances on both chains
clawrouter wallet

Both wallets are derived from the same BIP-39 mnemonic generated on first run.

Model Exclusion

Block specific models from routing:

# Block a model
clawrouter exclude add nvidia/gpt-oss-120b

# Aliases work
clawrouter exclude add grok-4

# Show exclusions
clawrouter exclude

# Remove exclusion
clawrouter exclude remove grok-4

Useful when a model doesn't follow instructions well or you want to control costs.

Comparison with OpenRouter

Feature	ClawRouter	OpenRouter
Hosting	Self-hosted (local)	Cloud-hosted
Automatic routing	✅ Complexity-based	❌ Manual selection
Cost optimization	✅ 78-96% savings	❌ Pay per model
Privacy	✅ Data stays local	⚠️ Data sent to cloud
Authentication	Wallet signature	API key
Payment	USDC (Solana/Base)	Credit card
Setup	`npx clawrouter`	Account signup

ClawRouter can be used alongside OpenRouter — route complex tasks through ClawRouter while using OpenRouter for specific model access.

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