Skip to main content

Configuring API Providers

Configure Forge to work with your preferred AI provider. This guide covers provider setup, priority handling, environment file merging, and provider-specific features.

Supported AI Providers​

Forge supports multiple AI providers, each with unique capabilities and pricing models:

Provider Overview​

  • Forge Provider (FORGE_KEY): Forgecode's managed service with optimized models
  • OpenRouter (OPENROUTER_API_KEY): Access to 300+ models from multiple providers
  • OpenAI (OPENAI_API_KEY): Official OpenAI models (GPT-4, o3-mini, etc.)
  • Anthropic (ANTHROPIC_API_KEY): Claude models (Claude 3.7 Sonnet, etc.)
  • Google Vertex AI: Google's enterprise AI platform with Claude and Gemini models
  • Groq: Ultra-fast inference with optimized models like DeepSeek R1
  • Amazon Bedrock: AWS managed AI service with multiple model providers
  • OpenAI-Compatible Providers: Any provider following OpenAI API format

Environment Configuration​

1

Create Environment File

Create a .env file to store your API credentials. You can place this file in multiple locations:

# In your home directory (global configuration)
touch ~/.env

# In your project directory (project-specific)
touch .env

# In any parent directory of your project
touch ../../../.env

Forge will automatically detect and merge environment files from multiple locations.

2

Add API Credentials

Add your preferred provider's API key to the .env file:

# Choose one or multiple providers

# Forge Provider (Forgecode's managed service)
FORGE_KEY=your_forge_api_key_here

# OpenRouter (recommended for model variety)
OPENROUTER_API_KEY=your_openrouter_key_here

# Official OpenAI
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_key_here

# Official Anthropic
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_anthropic_key_here

# Google Vertex AI
PROJECT_ID=your_project_id
LOCATION=your_location
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_vertex_ai_key
OPENAI_URL=https://${LOCATION}-aiplatform.googleapis.com/v1beta1/projects/${PROJECT_ID}/locations/${LOCATION}/endpoints/openapi

# Groq
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_groq_api_key
OPENAI_URL=https://api.groq.com/openai/v1

# Amazon Bedrock (requires Bedrock Access Gateway)
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_bedrock_gateway_api_key
OPENAI_URL=your_bedrock_gateway_base_url

# OpenAI-Compatible Providers
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_provider_api_key
OPENAI_URL=your_provider_url

Where to get API keys:

Example setup with Forge Provider (recommended):

# ~/.env
FORGE_KEY=your_forge_api_key_here

Example setup with OpenRouter:

# ~/.env
OPENROUTER_API_KEY=your_openrouter_key_here

Example setup with Groq:

# ~/.env
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_groq_api_key
OPENAI_URL=https://api.groq.com/openai/v1

Example setup with Amazon Bedrock:

# ~/.env
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_bedrock_gateway_api_key
OPENAI_URL=your_bedrock_gateway_base_url

Note: Amazon Bedrock requires setting up the Bedrock Access Gateway first.

3

Verify Configuration

Test your provider configuration by running Forge:

forge --version

Forge will automatically detect and use the highest priority provider available.

Provider Priority & Environment Merging​

Priority Order​

When multiple API keys are configured, Forge uses this priority order:

  1. FORGE_KEY - Highest priority (Forgecode's provider)
  2. OPENROUTER_API_KEY - Second priority (multiple models)
  3. OPENAI_API_KEY - Third priority (official OpenAI)
  4. ANTHROPIC_API_KEY - Lowest priority (official Anthropic)

Environment File Merging​

Forge searches for .env files in this order and merges them:

  1. Current working directory (.env)
  2. Parent directories (recursively up to root)
  3. Home directory (~/.env)

Merge behavior:

  • Variables in closer directories override those in parent directories
  • Project-level .env takes precedence over global ~/.env
  • First found variable wins (no overriding within same file)

Example scenario:

# ~/.env (global)
OPENAI_API_KEY=global_openai_key
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=global_anthropic_key

# /project/.env (project-specific)
FORGE_KEY=project_forge_key
OPENAI_API_KEY=project_openai_key

# Result: Forge uses project_forge_key (highest priority)
# OPENAI_API_KEY from project overrides global
# ANTHROPIC_API_KEY from global is still available

Next Steps​

Essential CommandsLearn core commands for productive development workflows.
Custom CommandsCreate your own commands and automate repetitive tasks.
Operating AgentsUnderstand different modes and agent capabilities.

Provider configuration complete! Forge will automatically use your configured provider based on the priority order and environment setup.