What is the provider script interface?

Providers are shell scripts in scripts/providers/ that take a prompt as the first argument, output the AI response to stdout, and exit 0 on success.

How do I test a new provider?

Create the script, make it executable, set the API key environment variable (e.g., GEMINI_API_KEY), and run a simple prompt like 'Hello' to verify output and exit status.

What troubleshooting steps exist if a provider isn't discovered or returns API errors?

Verify the API key is correct and exported, ensure the script is executable, check rate limits and model names, and use debug echoes to inspect the RESPONSE if parsing fails.

Provider Integration

npx machina-cli add skill hex/claude-council/provider-integration --openclaw

Files (1)

SKILL.md

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Adding AI Providers to Claude Council

Provider Script Interface

Each provider is a shell script in scripts/providers/ that:

Accepts a prompt as the first argument
Outputs the AI response to stdout
Exits 0 on success, non-zero on failure

Quick Start

Create scripts/providers/{name}.sh (see api-patterns.md for templates)
chmod +x scripts/providers/{name}.sh
Set {NAME}_API_KEY environment variable
Test: ./scripts/providers/{name}.sh "Hello"

Current Providers

Provider	API Key Variable	Default Model
Gemini	`GEMINI_API_KEY`	gemini-3-flash-preview
OpenAI	`OPENAI_API_KEY`	gpt-5.2-codex
Grok	`GROK_API_KEY`	grok-4-1-fast-reasoning
Perplexity	`PERPLEXITY_API_KEY`	sonar-pro

Troubleshooting

Not discovered: Check API key is set and script is executable
API errors: Verify key, check rate limits, confirm model name
Parse fails: Add echo "$RESPONSE" to debug, check response format

Reference

For API patterns and code templates, see api-patterns.md in this directory.

Source

git clone https://github.com/hex/claude-council/blob/main/skills/provider-integration/SKILL.mdView on GitHub

Overview

This skill covers adding new providers to Claude Council, configuring provider API keys, and debugging the provider script interface. It explains how each provider is a shell script under scripts/providers/, how to test prompts, and how to troubleshoot connection issues.

How This Skill Works

Each provider is a shell script located in scripts/providers/ that accepts a prompt as its first argument, outputs the AI response to stdout, and exits with status 0 on success or non-zero on failure. You configure access by setting the provider-specific API key environment variable (e.g., GEMINI_API_KEY or OPENAI_API_KEY) and verify behavior with a simple test prompt.

When to Use It

Adding a new provider to Claude Council
Configuring API keys and default model for a provider
Troubleshooting provider connections, not discovered, or API errors
Verifying the provider script interface and I/O behavior
Extending Claude Council by integrating additional providers

Quick Start

Step 1: Create scripts/providers/{name}.sh and implement the provider interface
Step 2: chmod +x scripts/providers/{name}.sh and ensure the appropriate API key env var is set
Step 3: Run ./scripts/providers/{name}.sh "Hello" to verify a clean 0 exit and stdout

Best Practices

Place each provider as scripts/providers/{name}.sh
Ensure the script is executable with chmod +x
Set the correct environment variable for the provider API key (e.g., GEMINI_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY)
Test with a simple prompt (e.g., 'Hello') to confirm stdout and exit status
Add lightweight debug logging (e.g., echo "$RESPONSE") when parsing outputs or errors

Example Use Cases

Add Gemini provider and set GEMINI_API_KEY, then run ./scripts/providers/gemini.sh 'Hello'
Add OpenAI provider with OPENAI_API_KEY and verify default model gpt-5.2-codex
Troubleshoot not discovered: confirm API key presence and that scripts/providers/gemini.sh is executable
Resolve API errors by checking key validity, rate limits, and the correct model name
Diagnose parse failures by printing the raw RESPONSE to stdout for inspection

Frequently Asked Questions

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