# claude-code-router MCP Server: Unifying LLM Access for Claude Code

> claude-code-router is an MCP Server that centralizes access to various LLM providers, including OpenRouter, DeepSeek, and Ollama, for Claude Code. It solves the problem of managing multiple API endpoints and model configurations, making it ideal for developers building coding infrastructure on Claude Code.

**Published:** 2026-10-25T12:01:34.142+00:00

**Keywords:** claude-code-router,mcp-server,ai,llm-routing,musistudio-claude-code-router

# claude-code-router MCP Server: Unifying LLM Access for Claude Code

The `claude-code-router` MCP Server provides a flexible routing layer for Claude Code requests, enabling developers to direct interactions to a variety of LLM providers and models. This TypeScript-based server allows you to leverage Claude Code as a foundation for coding infrastructure while maintaining control over model access and configuration.

## Routing Claude Code Requests

At its core, `claude-code-router` acts as a proxy for Claude Code, allowing you to customize and route requests to different models and providers. This means you can continue to use the familiar Claude Code interface while dynamically switching between services like OpenRouter, DeepSeek, Ollama, Gemini, and Volcengine. The server supports changing models and integrates with GitHub Actions for CI/CD workflows.

To get started, first ensure you have Claude Code installed, then install the router:

```shell
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
npm install -g @musistudio/claude-code-router
```

Once installed, you can start Claude Code through the router:

```shell
ccr code
```

## Configuring LLM Providers and Routing Rules

The power of `claude-code-router` comes from its customizable configuration. You define providers and routing rules in a `~/.claude-code-router/config.json` file. This file specifies API bases, keys, and available models for each provider.

Here's an example of a comprehensive configuration:

```json
{
 "Providers": [
 {
 "name": "openrouter",
 // IMPORTANT: api_base_url must be a complete (full) URL.
 "api_base_url": "https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions",
 "api_key": "sk-xxx",
 "models": [
 "google/gemini-2.5-pro-preview",
 "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4",
 "anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet",
 "anthropic/claude-3.7-sonnet:thinking"
 ],
 "transformer": {
 "use": ["openrouter"]
 }
 },
 {
 "name": "deepseek",
 // IMPORTANT: api_base_url must be a complete (full) URL.
 "api_base_url": "https://api.deepseek.com/chat/completions",
 "api_key": "sk-xxx",
 "models": ["deepseek-chat", "deepseek-reasoner"],
 "transformer": {
 "use": ["deepseek"],
 "deepseek-chat": {
 // Enhance tool usage for the deepseek-chat model using the ToolUse transformer.
 "use": ["tooluse"]
 }
 }
 },
 {
 "name": "ollama",
 // IMPORTANT: api_base_url must be a complete (full) URL.
 "api_base_url": "http://localhost:11434/v1/chat/completions",
 "api_key": "ollama",
 "models": ["qwen2.5-coder:latest"]
 },
 {
 "name": "gemini",
 // IMPORTANT: api_base_url must be a complete (full) URL.
 "api_base_url": "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/models/",
 "api_key": "sk-xxx",
 "models": ["gemini-2.5-flash", "gemini-2.5-pro"],
 "transformer": {
 "use": ["gemini"]
 }
 },
 {
 "name": "volcengine",
 // IMPORTANT: api_base_url must be a complete (full) URL.
 "api_base_url": "https://ark.cn-beijing.volces.com/api/v3/chat/completions",
 "api_key": "sk-xxx",
 "models": ["deepseek-v3-250324", "deepseek-r1-250528"],
 "transformer": {
 "use": ["deepseek"]
 }
 }
 ],
 "Router": {
 "default": "deepseek,deepseek-chat",
 "background": "ollama,qwen2.5-coder:latest",
 "think": "deepseek,deepseek-reasoner",
 "longContext": "openrouter,google/gemini-2.5-pro-preview"
 }
}
```

Within the `Providers` array, each object defines a connection to an LLM service, including its `name`, `api_base_url`, `api_key`, and a list of `models` it supports. Some providers also include `transformer` configurations, which can enhance model capabilities, such as enabling tool usage for `deepseek-chat`.

The `Router` object defines specific routing rules. For instance, `default` directs requests to `deepseek,deepseek-chat`, while `longContext` routes to `openrouter,google/gemini-2.5-pro-preview`. This allows developers to map different types of Claude Code requests to the most suitable LLM and provider, optimizing for cost, performance, or specific model capabilities.

## References

- [claude-code-router on GitHub](https://github.com/musistudio/claude-code-router)
- [Model Context Protocol Documentation](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/introduction)
- [claude-code-router on model-context-protocol.com](https://model-context-protocol.com/servers/)

## Related Repository

- [claude-code-router](https://model-context-protocol.com/servers/claude-code-router)

**Source:** https://model-context-protocol.com/blog/claude-code-router-mcp-server-unifying-llm-access-for-claude-mcp-server-guide