> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://muxaiio.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Contractors

> Route tasks to non-Claude models like GPT-4o, Grok, or Gemini through OpenRouter-compatible APIs.

## What are contractors?

Contractors let your Claude agents delegate tasks to other AI models. A contractor is a connection to an external model provider (OpenRouter, OpenAI, etc.) that agents can call via MCP tools during a run.

Think of it as hiring a specialist. Your Claude agent stays in charge but can ask a GPT-4o or Grok instance for a second opinion, a different perspective, or a task that another model handles better.

## How it works

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign an agreement">
    On the **Contractors** page, create a contractor by providing a name, API provider, API key, model ID, and base URL. This is the "contract."
  </Step>

  <Step title="Agent calls the contractor">
    During a run, the agent uses the `ask_contractor` MCP tool with the contractor's name and a prompt. The MCP server validates the contract is active, then calls the external API.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Response flows back">
    The contractor's response is returned to the agent as a tool result. The agent can use it alongside its own findings.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## MCP tools

The `mcp-contractor` server provides two tools:

| Tool                  | Description                                                     |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **ask\_contractor**   | Send a prompt to a named contractor and get back their response |
| **list\_contractors** | Discover which contractors are currently active                 |

## Managing contractors

The **Contractors** page shows all contracts as cards. Each card displays:

* Provider and model
* Status (active or inactive)
* Toggle to activate/deactivate
* Terminate button to permanently end the contract

<Tip>
  Contractor API keys are stored securely. They are never returned on public API requests. Only internal MCP server calls (authenticated via the internal secret) can access them.
</Tip>

## Compatible providers

Any provider with an OpenRouter-compatible chat completions API works:

* **OpenRouter** (access to hundreds of models)
* **OpenAI** (GPT-4o, GPT-4, etc.)
* **xAI** (Grok)
* **Google** (Gemini, via OpenRouter)
* Any custom endpoint that implements the `/chat/completions` format