snapshot: preserve central wiki state 2026-08-15 (7 modified + 1 new file)

decisions/keep-openrouter-as-fallback.md

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+---
+title: Keep OpenRouter as fallback
+type: decision
+status: active
+created: 2026-07-22
+updated: 2026-07-22
+review_after: 2026-08-22  # was 0001-01-01 (bug), fixed during 2026-07-22 audit; real trigger is conditional, see Revisit when
+confidence: high
+tags: [routing, provider, decision]
+sources: []
+---
+# Keep OpenRouter as fallback
+
+## Decision
+OpenRouter must remain available as a fallback provider, even if a self-hosted router becomes primary.
+
+## Reasons
+- Free models are important.
+- Broad model coverage.
+- Previous migrations disrupted provider availability.
+- A fallback reduces the chance of Hermes becoming unusable.
+
+## Alternatives considered
+- Direct providers only
+- OmniRoute exclusively
+- Local models exclusively
+
+## Revisit when
+A self-hosted router has operated reliably for at least 30 days.
+
+## Related
+- [[model-routing]]
+- [[systems/omniroute]]
+- [[systems/openrouter]]