OpenClaw: model API costs and setup

OpenClaw documents custom providers with an explicit openai-completions adapter. The endpoint origin and model capabilities remain part of the integration contract.

Configuration per vendor documentation; not end-to-end tested. Documentation checked 2026-11-02.

Protocol and setup checks

Steps below are per vendor documentation. Read the official OpenClaw documentation.

1. Set MELDPORT_API_KEY locally using a dedicated key. Keep the key out of committed configuration.
2. Merge the example provider into your OpenClaw configuration. Use openai-completions for Meldport's /v1/chat/completions contract, not openai-responses.
3. Select meldport followed by the published model ID as the primary model in your agent settings. Validate text, streaming, and tool calls in an isolated workspace before enabling recurring work.

{
  "models": {
    "mode": "merge",
    "providers": {
      "meldport": {
        "baseUrl": "https://api.meldport.com/v1",
        "apiKey": "${MELDPORT_API_KEY}",
        "api": "openai-completions",
        "models": [
          {
            "id": "meldport/glm-5.3-flash",
            "name": "GLM 5.3 Flash",
            "reasoning": false,
            "input": [
              "text"
            ],
            "contextWindow": 1000000,
            "maxTokens": 512
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Calculate cost before comparing savings

For GLM 5.3 Flash, verified on 2026-11-06, the listed uncached rates are $0.045 input and $0.15 output per million tokens. An illustrative 100,000 input plus 10,000 output tokens costs $0.006000, before minimum charges, caching, retries, and any other fees. This does not establish that the model works with OpenClaw.

Repeat the calculation using the same token counts and model at another provider. Savings exist only when that comparable total is higher. A lower rate does not establish equal quality, latency, or fewer retries.

Compare current token prices, review Meldport's API contract, and plan a task budget.

After checking the documented setup and your budget, create a dedicated Meldport API key in your account. Paid IDs require their corresponding funding; eligible free aliases use the shared allowance and optional wallet fallback. Validate the integration before committing to a workload.