ADE can route chats, CTO work, and workers through multiple providers. Configure at least one provider before starting agent work.
Supported paths
Open Settings -> AI Providers
Choose the provider you want to use.
Add credentials or sign in
Paste an API key, configure a local endpoint, or authenticate the provider CLI.
Verify
Run the provider check and make sure ADE can start a session.
Choose defaults
Set your default chat model and any role-specific overrides you need.
Permission presets
Providers expose different native permission models. ADE maps them into a small set of practical choices:
Cost control
Running several agents in parallel can spend quickly. Use cheaper models for routine follow-up and stronger models for planning, architecture, and hard debugging. Review usage from Settings -> Usage.
Provider calls go directly from your machine to the provider or local endpoint you configure. Keep keys out of committed files.
