API Keys & Providers
Frontman needs access to a large language model (LLM) to power the coding agent. You have three options for connecting a provider.
Free tier (default)
Section titled “Free tier (default)”Every Frontman installation comes with a free usage tier out of the box — no API key required. The agent uses Frontman’s hosted model endpoint with a generous rate limit so you can try it immediately after installation.
Bring your own key (BYOK)
Section titled “Bring your own key (BYOK)”Use your own API key from any supported provider for full control over model selection and costs.
Supported providers
Section titled “Supported providers”| Provider | Model examples | How to get a key |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | gpt-4o, gpt-4o-mini | platform.openai.com/api-keys |
| Anthropic | claude-sonnet-4-20250514, claude-3.5-haiku | console.anthropic.com |
| OpenRouter | Any model on OpenRouter | openrouter.ai/keys |
Setting your key
Section titled “Setting your key”Open the Frontman chat panel in your browser and click the settings icon (⚙️). Paste your API key in the provider field and select your preferred model.
Your key is stored locally in the browser and sent only to the model provider — it never touches Frontman’s servers.
OAuth (Google / GitHub)
Section titled “OAuth (Google / GitHub)”Sign in with your Google or GitHub account to use Frontman’s managed model access. This ties usage to your Frontman account and unlocks higher rate limits compared to the free tier.
Next steps
Section titled “Next steps”- How the Agent Works — Understand the screenshot → read → edit loop
- Sending Prompts — Write effective prompts