Providers & Models
Settings > Services is where you keep your AI services and models.
Opens the Service page in SpotAsk. If SpotAsk is not installed this link does nothing — open it by hand instead: SpotAsk menu bar icon → Settings... → Service, or press ⌘ + , to open Settings. Direct link: spotask://settings/provider
Services
Each service has:
- A Name you choose.
- An API Format: OpenAI Compatible or Anthropic.
- A Service Address and Address Type.
- A Response Timeout.
- Its own Access Key.
You can add, edit, or delete services. Deleting a service removes its models. At least one service and model must remain.
Models
Each model has a Display Name, an exact Model ID, a streaming setting, and a thinking setting. The Active model is the Settings default used for new conversations.
SpotAsk infers API Compatibility automatically from the provider and model name, and preserves a profile you choose manually. Provider default sends no extra thinking fields and keeps the provider's own behavior. Off disables thinking where the provider supports it, while the level options map to the provider's reasoning effort or thinking budget. If a service needs a less common field, enter it as a Custom Request Parameter; custom thinking fields replace the selected thinking setting for that model.
To add a model, use Add Model. To pull models from a service that supports discovery, use Refresh Models; this requires Service Root address mode and a saved access key.
Models discovered from the service are marked From service. Saving changes to a discovered model keeps it as a custom model.
Switch models in chat
The model picker in the chat window changes the model for the current conversation only. The Settings default is not changed.
- Choose a different model before or after a completed answer to retry with that model.
- Use Default Model returns the conversation to the Settings default.
- New Conversation clears the override and returns to the default model.
If a request fails
When a request fails, SpotAsk offers Retry and, where appropriate, Retry with another model. Select another model to regenerate the latest answer without losing the conversation.
Related: Connect an OpenAI-Compatible Service, Connect Anthropic