Use Poolside models in OpenCode

Poolside provides an OpenAI-compatible Chat API for Poolside models. Thinking is enabled by default.

Watch the setup video

Prerequisites

You have one of the following:
- A Poolside Platform API key. To create one, go to platform.poolside.ai.
- An OpenRouter API key with access to Poolside models. To create one, go to OpenRouter API keys.
- An API key for your organization’s Poolside deployment.

Steps

Poolside Platform
OpenRouter
Poolside deployment

In Poolside Platform, open API Keys.
Click New key.
Copy the API key.
In OpenCode, run the /connect command.
/connect
Scroll to Other.
Enter poolside as the provider ID.
poolside
Enter your Poolside Platform API key.

Add an example Poolside provider to your opencode.json file. The models block below is an example. Use a Poolside model available to your API key.

opencode.json

{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "provider": {
    "poolside": {
      "npm": "@ai-sdk/openai-compatible",
      "name": "Poolside",
      "options": {
        "baseURL": "https://inference.poolside.ai/v1"
      },
      "models": {
        "<poolside-model-id>": {
          "name": "Poolside model"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Run the /models command.
/models
Select a Poolside model.
Start a new chat and send a codebase question to confirm OpenCode responds with the selected Poolside model.

In OpenCode, run the /connect command.
/connect
Select OpenRouter.
Enter your OpenRouter API key. To create one, go to OpenRouter API keys.
Select a Poolside model. OpenRouter may offer free and paid Poolside models. To see current availability, see Poolside models on OpenRouter.
Start a new chat and send a codebase question to confirm OpenCode responds with the selected Poolside model.

If you run Poolside on your own infrastructure, set the base URL to your deployment’s OpenAI-compatible endpoint instead. Replace <api-domain> with your deployment’s host. The path is /openai/v1.

To use OpenCode with your organization’s Poolside deployment, configure Poolside as a custom OpenAI-compatible provider and provide your API key through the POOLSIDE_API_KEY environment variable.

export POOLSIDE_API_KEY="<api-key>"

opencode.json

{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "provider": {
    "poolside": {
      "npm": "@ai-sdk/openai-compatible",
      "name": "Poolside",
      "env": ["POOLSIDE_API_KEY"],
      "options": {
        "baseURL": "https://poolside.example.com/openai/v1"
      }
    }
  }
}

env: Environment variables OpenCode reads your API key from.
options.baseURL: Your deployment’s OpenAI-compatible endpoint.

Run the /models command, select a Poolside model, then start a new chat and send a codebase question to confirm OpenCode responds with the selected model.

​Watch the setup video

​Prerequisites

​Steps

​Related resources

Watch the setup video

Prerequisites

Steps

Related resources