Using Arize AX
Arize AX is the full-featured observability and evaluation platform from Arize AI for production teams, AI-native companies, and enterprises, available as managed cloud or enterprise self-hosted deployment. Since OpenRouter uses the OpenAI API schema, you can use Arize’s OpenInference auto-instrumentation with the OpenAI SDK to automatically trace and monitor your OpenRouter API calls. If you need an open-source path for local development or self-hosted experimentation, see Arize Phoenix. For production evaluation workflows, Arize’s agent evaluation guide and LLM evaluation guide show how traces help debug failures, score behavior, and evaluate model responses.Installation
Prerequisites
- OpenRouter account and API key
- Arize account with Space ID and API Key
Why OpenRouter Works with Arize AX
Arize’s OpenInference auto-instrumentation works with OpenRouter because:- OpenRouter provides a fully OpenAI-API-compatible endpoint - The
/v1endpoint mirrors OpenAI’s schema - Reuse official OpenAI SDKs - Point the OpenAI client’s
base_urlto OpenRouter - Automatic instrumentation - OpenInference hooks into OpenAI SDK calls seamlessly
Configuration
Set up your environment variables:Simple LLM Call
Initialize Arize AX and instrument your OpenAI client to automatically trace OpenRouter calls:What Gets Traced
All OpenRouter model calls are automatically traced and include:- Request/response data and timing
- Model name and provider information
- Token usage and cost data (when supported)
- Error handling and debugging information
JavaScript/TypeScript Support
OpenInference also provides instrumentation for the OpenAI JavaScript/TypeScript SDK, which works with OpenRouter. For setup and examples, please refer to the OpenInference JavaScript examples for OpenAI.Common Issues
- API Key: Use your OpenRouter API key, not OpenAI’s
- Model Names: Use exact model names from OpenRouter’s model list
- Rate Limits: Check your OpenRouter dashboard for usage limits
Learn More
- Arize AX OpenRouter Integration: https://arize.com/docs/ax/integrations/llm-providers/openrouter/openrouter-tracing
- OpenRouter Quick Start Guide: https://openrouter.ai/docs/quickstart
- OpenInference OpenAI Instrumentation: https://github.com/Arize-ai/openinference/tree/main/python/instrumentation/openinference-instrumentation-openai