# Strands Decider (BYOK)

> How to create an API key for Strands Decider and add it to AnyRouter via Bring Your Own Key.


# Strands Decider — Bring Your Own Key

Strands Decider is self-hosted: there is no hosted API, no account, and no key console. You run `strands-decider serve` on your own hardware, and the saved key is a passthrough — the server defines no auth and ignores whatever you store.

## Get your API key

1. Install the server: `pip install strands-decider` ([docs](https://github.com/strands-labs/strands-decider#running-as-a-server)).
2. Start it: `strands-decider serve StrandsAgents/strands-decider-2B-hobson-v19 --port 8000`.
3. In AnyRouter, add a **Strands Decider** key with any placeholder value — the serve does not read it.

## Gotchas

Requests route to the documented default serve origin (`http://localhost:8000`); a live call only succeeds while your `strands-decider serve` process is running and reachable at that origin. AnyRouter runs a live validation call before storing the key, so a serve that is not up and frontable yet will fail validation.

## Add it to AnyRouter

1. Go to **[Dashboard → BYOK](https://dash.anyrouter.dev/byok)**.
2. Find **Strands Decider** under **Available** and click **Add key**.
3. Paste your key into the **API key** field.
- **Create key**: [Strands Decider console](https://github.com/strands-labs/strands-decider#running-as-a-server)
- **Default base URL** (editable on the key form): `http://localhost:8000/v1`

4. Click **Save**. AnyRouter runs a live validation call against Strands Decider before storing the key — if it fails, the dialog shows the upstream error and the key isn't saved.

## Related

- [BYOK Provider Setup Guide](/features/byok-providers) — the full provider list and the general flow
- [Bring Your Own Key (BYOK)](/features/byok) — routing precedence, load balancing, and costs
- [Free-tier aggregation](/features/free-tier-aggregation) — combine free tiers behind one preset