---
title: "Connect Continue to XiuRouter"
description: "Save a local secret, add a Continue model, and verify Chat Completions without replacing existing models or roles."
image: "https://docs.xiu.ai/og.png"
---

> XiuAI documentation index
> Full documentation index: https://docs.xiu.ai/en/llms.txt
> Check the index for current pages before reading.

# Connect Continue to XiuRouter

Save a local secret and add a XiuRouter model to `config.yaml`. If the file already has models and roles, keep them and append a new entry. This guide explicitly uses Chat Completions to avoid automatic Responses routing for some `gpt-5` model names.

## Choose a setup method

- First setup: save the secret, then add a model entry.
- Existing setup: retain the original models and roles, append XiuRouter, then switch.
- Chat-assisted setup: an agent can merge credential-free YAML, but you must save the secret, restart, and create a new task.

## Before you start

Continue's extension or CLI must be able to read its configuration, and you need a dedicated XiuRouter key.

## Save the local secret

The IDE extension does not read an `export` from an unrelated terminal. Save the key in an `.env` file Continue can read, such as:

```dotenv
# ~/.continue/.env
XIUROUTER_API_KEY=YOUR_XIUROUTER_API_KEY
```

You can also use a workspace-root `.env` or `.continue/.env`. Keep these files out of Git and restart the IDE after changing them.

## Add a model

Merge this into the active Continue `config.yaml`:

```yaml
name: Local Config
version: 1.0.0
schema: v1

models:
  - name: XiuRouter
provider: openai
model: YOUR_MODEL_ID
apiBase: https://router-api.xiu.ai/v1
apiKey: ${{ secrets.XIUROUTER_API_KEY }}
useResponsesApi: false
```

If `name`, `version`, `schema`, or `models` already exist, append only the model entry. Do not replace other providers or roles or put a real key in committable project configuration.

An agent with configuration-file access can merge this credential-free YAML. You still save the secret in the appropriate `.env`, restart the IDE, and start a new task.

## Ask an agent to help

After saving the secret yourself, send this to a Continue agent with configuration access:

> Keep the current `config.yaml` name, version, models, and roles. Append a XiuRouter model using `provider: openai`, Base URL `https://router-api.xiu.ai/v1`, model `YOUR_MODEL_ID`, and `useResponsesApi: false`. Reference only `secrets.XIUROUTER_API_KEY`; do not read or write the real credential. Show the diff afterward.

## Verify

1. Reload the Continue configuration.
2. Select the `XiuRouter` model.
3. Ask it to explain a file without editing.
4. Complete one small, reversible edit.
5. Verify the key, model, `/v1/chat/completions`, and successful result in XiuRouter's request inspection view.

Chat, Edit, Apply, Autocomplete, and Embed can use different models. This configures one OpenAI-compatible model; configure other roles separately for their protocols and capabilities.

Continue defaults some `gpt-5` and o-series models to Responses. Keep `useResponsesApi: false` for this Chat Completions walkthrough. Before removing it, verify `/v1/responses` support for the model and service group.

## Troubleshoot

| Symptom | Next step |
| --- | --- |
| Configuration not loaded | Find the `config.yaml` your installed Continue version actually reads |
| `401` | Check the `.env` secret name, key validity, and restart the IDE |
| Model unavailable | Copy its exact ID from `/v1/models` and check key/group restrictions |
| Chat configuration looks right but requests fail | Inspect whether the actual request uses Chat Completions or Responses and check model compatibility |
| Chat works but Edit or Apply fails | Choose a verified model for that role; one Chat response does not establish every role's compatibility |

## Roll back

Remove the XiuRouter entry from `models`, reload, and select the original model. Revoke the test key once no Continue configuration references it.

## Sources and review date

Reviewed on 2026-08-31. This translation preserves that date. Basic setup requires a complete reply and matching successful request record.

Source: https://docs.xiu.ai/en/router/integrations/continue/index.mdx