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Tokios reaches your private model over an outbound-only tunnel — nothing on your machine listens for inbound traffic. This quickstart walks you through 3 milestones: connect your runtime, verify the tunnel works, then connect your client. Sign in at tokios.com/console and open the Setup tab. (First time? Confirm your email from the verification link — it’s valid for 24 hours.)

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Milestone 1: Connect your runtime

Get the connector installed and your model registered so Tokios can reach it.
1

Pair a connector

On the Setup tab, optionally name the connector, then click Start pairing. Tokios shows a one-time claim code like TKS-XXXX-XXXX, valid for about 15 minutes.The claim code is a pairing handle — it is not your API key (you create that in Milestone 3).
2

Install the connector and approve it

On the machine next to your model, run the install one-liner the console shows for your OS:
Already have tokios-connector installed? Skip the installer and pass the claim code directly:
Already installed
The connector dials out over a single WebSocket — no inbound ports, no public IP. Back in the console, approve the device. Your token is delivered securely over the tunnel; you never paste it into a file.
3

Register your model

In the Models tab, pick the model to expose and the public name your clients will use — for example, gemma-tunnel. That public name is the "model" value in every API request.
Success state: your model appears in the Models tab with an active connector. The tunnel is live — but you have not tested it yet.

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Milestone 2: Verify end-to-end

Test in the Playground before creating an API key. This confirms the tunnel and model work together.
1

Try it in the Playground

Open the Playground tab, pick your model, type a prompt, and click Run. The Playground authenticates with your current session — no API key needed — so you can confirm the tunnel works before wiring up a client.Success state: you get a response from your local model through the Tokios endpoint. If the Playground returns a completion, the tunnel is healthy and you are ready to connect a client.
If the Playground times out, check that your local model is running and the connector shows Connected in the console. See Troubleshooting for common fixes.

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Milestone 3: Connect your client

Create an API key and point your coding agent at Tokios.
1

Create an API key

In the Keys tab, click Create key. Give it a display name and, optionally, model patterns to scope it (leave * to allow all your models). Copy the sk-tok-… key immediately — it is shown only once.
2

Point your client and test

Pick your client. Each needs the base URL for its dialect, your sk-tok-… key, and your public model name:
  • Anthropic style (Claude Code): https://api.tokios.com
  • OpenAI style (Codex, OpenAI SDKs): https://api.tokios.com/v1
Full setup per client: Claude Code · OpenAI Codex.A successful call returns a completion shaped for your client’s dialect — for the curl above, an OpenAI-shaped response (abbreviated):
Success state: your client talks to your local model through Tokios. The response comes back from your own hardware, not a cloud provider.

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What’s next?

Use with Claude Code

Point Claude Code at Tokios and run your coding agent against your own local model.

Expose more models

Serve several models through one connector with a config file.