FAQ

Production URLs, modes, credits, keys, and local development.

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Find quick answers about hosted Eco, keys, routing modes, and costs.

Where is production?#

The website is orbioeco.sh, with the playground and docs. The API origin is https://api.orbioeco.sh; SDK clients use https://api.orbioeco.sh/v1. See Hosting.

Do I need an Eco account or key?#

No. Bring your own Orbio key (sk-orbio-…) and credits. Eco does not issue keys or hold a balance. Installation & usage shows the first steps.

Which auto mode should I use?#

Start with auto/balanced; auto means the same thing. auto/cheap favors cost when the decision is ambiguous. auto/best favors capability. These preferences do not lock a tier. See How it works.

Can I choose a model myself?#

Yes. Send its exact model id instead of an auto alias. Eco forwards that request without automatic selection or a classifier call.

Is Preview free, and does it reserve the route?#

Not always, and no. Preview may run a paid classifier but never generates your requested answer. Send routes again and runs the completion. Using both may run the classifier twice.

Are savings guaranteed?#

No. Catalog prices are seed snapshots. The current seed uses lab prices from 2026-10-01 and assumes Orbio pricing at 75% of those prices (25% lower). Illustrations do not guarantee today's prices or your final bill. Input tokens and classifier calls also affect cost.

Where are my key and messages stored?#

The playground saves the key and recent route metadata in your browser. It does not save prompts or replies there. Authenticated requests send the key to Eco and Orbio. Eco logs metadata, not prompt or completion bodies. See Privacy & keys.

Does the playground remember a conversation?#

Each Send uses the current message and optional system instructions. Earlier replies are not automatically appended. Your own API client can send a multi-message conversation.

What happens if the classifier fails?#

Eco uses a balanced fallback and still checks model capabilities. The route panel reports that the classifier was attempted.

Local development: why does the browser fail when curl works?#

Check the API URL and the browser's exact CORS origin. The local defaults are API port 8787 and web port 3000; 8788 is an option if the API port is busy. Follow Developers and self-hosting for settings.