SeaShell Cloud includes an optional model router: a hosted service for model routing, provider policy, credit checks, rate limits, and usage events. It sits behind an SeaShell runtime feature flag, so bring-your-own-keys stays the default and you opt in only when a team wants centrally managed routing instead of per-developer provider keys.
Why a hosted router at all
Bring-your-own-keys is ideal for individuals, but teams often want one place to set provider policy, enforce rate limits, and account for spend. The model router is that place, offered as an opt-in service rather than a requirement.
With hosted routing, an organization can decide which providers and models are allowed, apply credit checks before a run, and collect usage events for reporting, without distributing raw provider keys to every seat. Developers still work in the same terminal agent; only the routing decision moves.
Still your choice, per run
The router is gated behind an SeaShell runtime feature flag. Nothing about your existing local setup changes unless you turn it on, and you can keep routing directly to your own keys or local Ollama models.
That means the privacy story is intact: local and BYO-key routing remain first-class. Hosted routing is an added option for teams that value central control and reporting, not a toll you must pay to use SeaShell.
Usage without exposing content
The router records usage events (which model, how much) for credit and rate-limit decisions. It is part of the control plane, which is designed not to require prompts, model outputs, or provider request bodies for ordinary operations.
So a team can meter and cap usage while the substance of each request, your code and prompts, stays out of the accounting path. You get spend visibility and policy enforcement without turning the router into a content log.
Frequently asked questions
- Does hosted routing replace bring-your-own-keys?
- No. Bring-your-own-keys and local models are the default. Hosted routing is opt-in behind a runtime feature flag for teams that want centralized provider policy and usage control.
- What does the model router manage?
- Model routing, provider policy, credit checks, rate limits, and usage events, so teams can standardize and meter model access.
- Does the router see my prompts or code?
- The router is part of the control plane, which is designed not to require prompts, model outputs, or provider request bodies for ordinary operations. It records usage events, not content.
- How do I turn it on?
- Hosted routing is gated behind an SeaShell runtime feature flag, so it is off until you explicitly enable it.
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