# LLM & Provider Settings

Understand what the LLM & Providers setting controls in your workspace, and learn where to go to connect the specific provider that will power Automix's AI features.

_Takes About 5 minutes to read._

## Before you start

> **You'll need an account with one AI provider**
>
> Pick one of Google Gemini, OpenRouter, or OpenAI before you start. You only need an account with the one you choose.

## 1. Why Automix asks for a provider

Automix's assistant and agent features generate replies using a large language model. That model is not built into Automix itself; instead, your workspace connects to an external provider that runs the model. Without a provider connected, any features that depend on generated replies cannot run.

## 2. Find the LLM & Providers setting

Open Settings and look for the LLM & Providers section. This is where you configure the active provider, its API key, and its model for your workspace. A workspace has one active language-model provider configured at a time, so this setting determines which service handles your AI requests.

## 3. Pick your provider's setup guide

Choose the setup guide that matches your provider: follow the Google Gemini guide if you use Google's AI Studio or Vertex AI, the OpenRouter guide if you want access to many models, including free ones, through a single key, or the OpenAI guide if you already use OpenAI's API. Connecting a provider means pasting an API key issued by that provider's own console; Automix never generates the key for you.

Environment variables: `LLM_PROVIDER`, `LLM_API_KEY`, `LLM_BASE_URL`, `LLM_MODEL`

## After connecting

- Automix's assistant and agent features will use the provider and model you configured for new replies.
- You can change the provider later by returning to the same setting and repeating the setup guide for a different provider.

## Next

- [Connect a Google Gemini key](/docs/platform/guides/google-gemini-key)
- [Connect an OpenRouter key](/docs/platform/guides/openrouter-key)
- [Connect an OpenAI key](/docs/platform/guides/openai-key)

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Status: reviewed · reviewed by gemini-3.8-flash
Author: qwen3.8-27b