// Choice · Choose tools and avoid pitfalls

Are API relays / OpenRouter safe?

Any third party that forwards your request to an upstream provider can see plaintext prompts and completions unless true end-to-end encryption exists (mainstream model APIs do not). OpenRouter is a well-documented aggregator: by default it does not keep prompts/responses long-term and offers Zero Data Retention (ZDR) routing. Opaque cheap relays often risk model substitution, inflated usage, exit scams, and silent logging. Safety depends on data sensitivity, verification, and how you pay and isolate keys—not on marketing claims.

verified 2026-10-128 official sources

Scenario: Choose tools and avoid pitfalls →

Symptoms

You need one API for many models (or better reachability) via OpenRouter or another relay
You worry that code, customer data, or secrets will be retained, trained on, or leaked
You worry about substituted models, fake token counts, or prepaid balance disappearing

Common causes

A relay must terminate TLS and can read content; “zero log” claims are usually commercial promises, not cryptography (see community threads on V2EX)
Some relays rewrite model names, strip features, inject system prompts, or return untrustworthy usage fields (what Veridrop is built to detect)
Large prepaid balances plus non-auditable billing amplify exit-scam and billing disputes
Shared keys without spend caps can empty a wallet after one leak

How to fix

Split by sensitivity: secrets, customer PII, and unreleased code should go to official APIs or a thin self-hosted gateway you can audit; toys and public material can use aggregators
Read the vendor docs: OpenRouter states it does not store prompts/responses unless you opt into logging or “use for product improvement”; it still stores metadata such as token counts and latency (Privacy page, asOf=2026-10-12)
For stronger constraints enable ZDR: per model-group toggles in privacy settings, or provider.zdr=true on the request so routing stays on endpoints that declare zero retention; plugins/web tools have separate policies (ZDR docs)
Payment and keys: test with small top-ups; split keys per project with spend and rate limits; never share the master key. Keep keys in env vars and rotate on suspicion of leak
Verify: run independent checks with open-source Veridrop (thinking signatures, protocol fields, usage fingerprints) against suspicious relays; OpenRouter has a public Veridrop leaderboard history (scores change—check the live page). Also reconcile upstream request ids, model names, and invoices
A practical checklist (prefer verifiable behavior over slogans): were model name and params altered; do tokens match upstream; silent fallback on failure; multi-layer “credits/channel multipliers”; what is logged and for how long; can you revoke one key and see its bill (community summary: V2EX t/1231697)

Notes

This page does not endorse opaque cheap relays and is not legal advice. Regional access and compliance rules still apply
Veridrop’s public samples for openrouter.ai may be older than this page’s asOf; always open the source links
asOf=2026-10-12 based on OpenRouter Privacy/ZDR docs, Veridrop FAQ/leaderboard, and citable V2EX threads fetched that day

Official references

Compiled from official documentation and public discussions on 2026-10-12; not yet reproduced in our own environment. Follow the official docs if they differ.