ZeroAPI Model Router

Route tasks to the best AI model across paid subscriptions (Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Gemini, Kimi) via OpenClaw gateway. Use when user mentions model routing, multi-model setup, "use Codex for this", "delegate to Gemini", "route to the best model", agent delegation, or has OpenClaw agents configured with multiple providers. Do NOT use for single-model conversations or general chat.

# ZeroAPI — Subscription-Based Model Routing

Route incoming tasks to the optimal AI model across available providers. OpenClaw handles all API connections — this skill defines the classification and delegation logic. Classify each task by type and delegate to the appropriate agent/model.

## First-Time Setup

When this skill is first loaded, determine the user's available providers:

1. Ask: "Which AI subscriptions do you have?" (Claude Max 5x/20x, ChatGPT Plus/Pro, Gemini Advanced, Kimi)
2. Map subscriptions to available tiers (see table below)
3. Disable tiers for missing providers — those decision steps get skipped
4. Confirm the active configuration with the user

If only Claude is available, all tasks stay on Opus. No routing needed — but conflict resolution and collaboration patterns still apply for judging task complexity.

To verify providers are actually working after setup, ask the user to run:
```bash
openclaw models status
```
Any model showing `missing` or `auth_expired` is not usable. Remove it from your active tiers until the user fixes it.

For full provider configuration details, consult `references/provider-config.md` (in the same directory as this SKILL.md).

## Model Tiers

| Tier | Model | OpenClaw ID | Speed | TTFT | Intelligence | Context | Best At |
|------|-------|-------------|-------|------|-------------|---------|---------|
| SIMPLE | Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite | `google-gemini-cli/gemini-2.5-flash-lite` | 495 tok/s | 0.23s | 21.6 | 1M | Low-latency pings, trivial format tasks |
| FAST | Gemini 3 Flash | `google-gemini-cli/gemini-3-flash-preview` | 206 tok/s | 12.75s | 46.4 | 1M | Instruction following, structured output, heartbeats |
| RESEARCH | Gemini 3 Pro | `google-gemini-cli/gemini-3-pro-preview` | 131 tok/s | 29.59s | 48.4 | 1M | Scientific research, long context analysis |
| CODE | GPT-5.3 Codex | `openai-codex/gpt-5.3-codex` | 113 tok/s | 20.00s | 51.5 | 200K | Code generation, math (99.0) |
| DEEP | Claude Opus 4.6 | `anthropic/claude-opus-4-6` | 67 tok/s | 1.76s | 53.0 | 200K | Reasoning, planning, judgment |
| ORCHESTRATE | Kimi K2.5 | `kimi-coding/k2p5` | 39 tok/s | 1.65s | 46.7 | 128K | Multi-agent orchestration (TAU-2: 0.959) |

**Key benchmark scores** (higher = better):
- **GPQA** (science): Gemini Pro 0.908, Opus 0.769, Codex 0.738*
- **Coding** (SWE-bench): Codex 49.3*, Opus 43.3, Gemini Pro 35.1
- **Math** (AIME '25): Codex 99.0*, Gemini Flash 97.0, Opus 54.0
- **IFBench** (instruction following): Gemini Flash 0.780, Opus 0.639, Codex 0.590*
- **TAU-2** (agentic tool use): Kimi K2.5 0.959, Codex 0.811*, Opus 0.780

Scores marked with * are estimated from vendor reports, not independently verified. Source: Artificial Analysis API v4, February 2026. Structured data in `benchmarks.json`.

## Decision Algorithm

Walk through these 9 steps IN ORDER for every incoming task. The FIRST match wins. If a required model is unavailable, skip that step and continue to the next.

**Estimating token count for Step 1**: Count characters in the input and divide by 4. 100k tokens ≈ 400,000 characters. If the user pastes a large file, codebase, or says "analyze this entire repo," assume it exceeds 100k.

| Step | Signals | Route to | Fallbacks |
|------|---------|----------|-----------|
| 1. Context >100k tokens | large file, long document, bulk, CSV, log dump, entire codebase, "analyze this PDF" | RESEARCH (Pro, 1M ctx) | Opus (200K) |
| 2. Math / proof | calculate, solve, equation, proof, integral, probability, optimize, formula | CODE (Codex, Math 99.0) | Flash (97.0), Opus |
| 3. Code writing | write code, implement, function, class, refactor, script, migration, test, PR, diff | CODE (Codex, Coding 49.3) | Opus |
| 4. Code review / architecture | review, audit, architecture, design, trade-off, security review, best practice | DEEP (Opus, Intel 53.0) | stays on main |
| 5. Speed critical / trivial | quick, fast, simple, format, convert, summarize, list, extract, translate, one-liner | FAST (Flash, 206 tok/s) | Flash-Lite, Opus |
| 6. Research / scientific | research, find out, explain, compare, analyze, paper, evidence, fact-check, deep dive | RESEARCH (Pro, GPQA 0.908) | Opus |
| 7. Multi-step tool pipeline | orchestrate, coordinate, pipeline, workflow, chain, parallel, fan-out | ORCHESTRATE (Kimi, TAU-2 0.959) | Codex, Opus |
| 8. Structured output | follow rules exactly, JSON schema, strict template, structured, checklist, table | FAST (Flash, IFBench 0.780) | Opus |
| 9. Default | no clear match | DEEP (Opus, Intel 53.0) | safest all-rounder |

**Step 5 note**: For sub-second TTFT needs (pings, health checks), use SIMPLE (Flash-Lite, 0.23s TTFT). For heartbeats and cron jobs, use FAST (Flash) — better instruction following (IFBench 0.780).

### Disambiguation Examples

When a task matches multiple steps:
- "Analyze this 200-page PDF and write a Python parser for it" -- Step 1 wins (context size), route to RESEARCH. Then delegate code writing to CODE as a follow-up.
- "Quickly solve this integral" -- Step 2 wins over Step 5 (math trumps speed).
- "Generate a JSON schema for this API" -- Step 8 wins (structured output, not code writing).
- "Review this code and refactor the authentication module" -- Step 4 wins for review, then Step 3 for the refactor (delegate to CODE).

## When NOT to Route

Do NOT route away from the current model when:

1. **User explicitly requests a model.** "Use Opus for this" or "don't delegate this" — always respect direct instructions.
2. **Security-sensitive tasks.** If the task involves credentials, private keys, secrets, or personally identifiable data, keep it on the main agent. Do not send sensitive content to sub-agents.
3. **Debugging a specific model.** If the user is testing or comparing model behavior, route to the model they specify.
4. **Mid-conversation continuity.** In a multi-turn conversation where the user asks a quick follow-up, do not switch models just because the follow-up is "simple." Stay on the current model for context continuity unless the user explicitly asks to delegate.

## Conflict Resolution

When multiple steps seem to match, resolve with these priority rules:

1. **Judgment trumps speed.** If the task has ambiguity, nuance, or risk — stay on Opus.
2. **Specialist trumps generalist.** If a model has a standout benchmark for the exact task type, prefer it.
3. **Code writing -- Codex. Code review -- Opus.** Different models for writing vs judging.
4. **Context overflow -- Gemini.** Only Gemini models handle 1M context.
5. **TTFT matters for interactive tasks.** Flash-Lite (0.23s), Kimi (1.65s), and Opus (1.76s) respond fast. Codex (20s) and Pro (29.59s) are slow to start — don't use them for quick back-and-forth.
6. **When truly tied -- Opus.** Highest general intelligence, lowest risk of subtle errors.

## Sub-Agent Delegation

Use OpenClaw's agent system to delegate:

```text
/agent <agent-id> <instruction>
```

1. You send `/agent codex <instruction>` — OpenClaw spawns the sub-agent with that instruction.
2. The sub-agent runs in its own workspace and returns a text response.
3. Sub-agents do NOT share your conversation context or workspace files. Pass ALL necessary context in the instruction.

**What to pass**: The specific task, relevant code snippets, output format expectations, and constraints.

### Examples

```text
/agent codex Write a Python function that parses RFC 3339 timestamps with timezone support. Return only the code.

/agent gemini-researcher Analyze the differences between SQLite WAL mode and journal mode. Include benchmarks and a recommendation.

/agent gemini-fast Convert the following list into a markdown table with columns: Name, Role, Status.

/agent kimi-orchestrator Coordinate: (1) gemini-researcher gathers data on X, (2) codex writes a parser, (3) report results.
```

## Error Handling and Retries

1. **Timeout** (no response within 60s): Retry once on same model. If it fails again, fall to next fallback.
2. **Auth error** (401/403): D