Shakespeare's flexible AI provider system gives you maximum flexibility to choose from dozens of AI providers. With support for 40+ models across cloud providers, local installations, and custom APIs, you're never locked into a single vendor.

How to Configure AI Providers in Shakespeare

Shakespeare's flexible AI provider system gives you maximum flexibility to choose from dozens of AI providers for your website building needs. With support for 40+ models across cloud providers, local installations, and custom APIs, you're never locked into a single vendor. Shakespeare makes it simple to configure and instantly switch between any AI provider you choose.

Accessing AI Settings

Getting to your AI configuration is straightforward:

Navigate to Settings - Open Settings from your Shakespeare dashboard
Click AI Settings - Select AI Settings from the settings menu
Manage Providers - View configured providers and add new ones

Edit your AI provider settings

Understanding the Interface

The AI Settings page is organized into two main sections:

Configured Providers

Shows your active providers like:

Shakespeare AI - Default provider
Current Balance (e.g., "$0.00")
Configure or delete provider options
Real-time cost tracking

Add Provider

Choose from multiple options:

40+ cloud models
Local installations
Custom API endpoints
OpenAI-compatible endpoints

Available Provider Options

Cloud Providers (40+ models)

Premium Providers:

OpenRouter - Claude, GPT-5, Gemini & more
Anthropic - Claude models
OpenAI - GPT-5 & ChatGPT models

Alternative Options:

PayPerQ - Pay-per-query services
Routstr - Decentralized routing
Z.ai - Cost-effective alternatives
xAI - Grok models

Local Models

Run models on your machine for complete privacy:

GPT-OSS - Open-source GPT variant
DeepSeek-R1 - Advanced reasoning model
Gemma 3 - Google's lightweight model
Complete offline capability

Custom APIs

Connect any compatible endpoint:

OpenAI-compatible endpoints
Private model deployments
Self-hosted instances
Custom integrations

Configuring Mainstream Providers

Setting Up Anthropic (Claude)

Locate "Anthropic" in the Add Provider section
Click "Get API key" - this opens the Anthropic website
Sign up or log into your Anthropic account
Generate an API key in your account dashboard
Return to Shakespeare and paste the key in the "Enter your API key" field
Click "Add" to activate the provider

Adding PayPerQ

Find "PayPerQ" in the provider list
Visit PayPerQ's website to create an account and get your API key
Enter the API key in Shakespeare's interface
Click "Add" to complete the setup

Adding Routstr

Locate "Routstr" in the provider list
You'll need a Cashu token instead of a traditional API key
Enter your Cashu token in the designated field
Click "Add" to activate Routstr

Adding Z.ai

Find "Z.ai" in the provider list
Visit Z.ai's website to create an account and get your API key
Enter the API key in Shakespeare's interface
Click "Add" to complete the setup

Adding xAI (Grok)

Find "xAI" in the provider list
Visit xAI's platform to obtain your API key
Enter the API key in the "Enter your API key" field
Click "Add" to activate xAI's Grok models

Configuring OpenAI

Select "OpenAI" from the available providers
Go to OpenAI's platform and create an API key
Copy the key and paste it into Shakespeare
Click "Add" to activate

Setting Up Local AI with Ollama

For ultimate privacy and offline capabilities, you can run AI models locally using Ollama. For detailed installation instructions and more information, visit our full article on using local AI models with Shakespeare.

Install Ollama

Download Ollama from their official website
Install it on your local machine
Download models: ollama pull gpt-oss

Configure in Shakespeare

Scroll to "Add Custom Provider"
Enter endpoint: http://localhost:11434/v1
Specify your downloaded model name
Test connection and save

Managing Your Providers

Switching Between Providers

Once configured, switching providers is instant. You can change models directly from your chat interface using the model dropdown.

The model selector shows your available options:

shakespeare/glm-4.5 - Top ranking Open Source model. Excels at updating existing projects on a budget.
shakespeare/claude-sonnet-4.5 - Highly capable programming model, able to understand and perform complex tasks.
shakespeare/claude-opus-4.1 - If money is no obstacle, this model can get the job done.
Enter custom model... - Option to specify any custom model from your configured providers
Manage providers... - Quick access to add or configure AI providers

Changes take effect immediately for new requests in your conversation.

Removing Providers

To remove a provider you no longer need:

Find the provider in your "Configured Providers" list
Click the delete/remove icon
Confirm the removal

Security Best Practices

Shakespeare runs completely in your browser as a client-side application. This means all your data, including API keys, project files, and conversations, are stored locally on your device and never leave your browser unless you explicitly choose to share them.

Local Storage Security

All API keys are stored locally in your browser, ensuring:

Maximum security and privacy
No server-side storage of credentials
Full control over your AI resources

Getting the Most from Multi-Provider Setup

Start Simple

Begin with one or two providers to get familiar with the system:

Choose a primary provider for most tasks
Add a secondary provider for backup or cost optimization

Breaking Free from Vendor Lock-In

True AI Freedom with Shakespeare

✓ Instant provider switching
✓ No code changes required
✓ Compare model performance
✓ Optimize costs per task
✓ Multiple backup options
✓ Never locked to one vendor

What's Next?

Once you've configured your providers, you'll want to understand which AI model works best for different types of website building tasks - from simple websites to complex applications. The choice of provider can significantly impact both the quality of your results and your costs.

Learn more about choosing the right AI model for your project in our comprehensive guide: What AI model should I use with Shakespeare?

Ready to experience true AI flexibility? Start configuring your providers and discover the optimal development experience that Shakespeare offers with 40+ models at your fingertips.

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This article was originally published on Soapbox.pub