docs/guides/onboarding.md
Use onboarding the first time you open Agent Zero, or any time the Web UI says your models still need setup. The wizard helps you pick Cloud, AI account, or Local access, configure a main model, choose a utility model, and start chatting.
This example uses OpenRouter with a masked demo key. Replace the demo key with your own key.
Open the Web UI. The welcome screen can show account shortcuts, and the message composer is ready immediately.
If you send a message before models are configured, Agent Zero creates the chat, holds the message, and shows the model gate inside the conversation. Choose Cloud provider, AI account, or Local model to open onboarding.
Choose Cloud when you want to paste an API key for OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Venice, or another hosted provider.
Choose Account when you want to sign in with Codex/ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, Google Cloud Gemini, or xAI Grok instead of pasting a provider key.
Choose Local when you want to connect to Ollama, LM Studio, oMLX, llama.cpp, vLLM, or another model server running on your machine.
For API-key providers, choose the main model and paste the provider key. The screenshot uses a masked demo key.
After the main model is selected, click Choose utility model.
The utility model handles quick internal tasks such as summaries, naming, and memory. A small, fast, cheap model usually works best here. The wizard may prefill a utility provider and model, but it remains an explicit choice.
Click Finish setup when the utility model looks right.
The ready screen confirms that model setup is done. Optional setup cards may appear for integrations such as Telegram, Email, WhatsApp, or plugins.
Click Start Chatting to create a chat and begin using Agent Zero.
[!IMPORTANT] Do not reuse the fake key shown in this guide. Paste your own provider key, and do not share screenshots that reveal real keys or private account details.