What is routing?
LLM routing selects a model or endpoint for a request according to a policy. A useful routing policy balances task requirements, measured quality, latency, availability, and total cost.
o10Reviewed 2026-09-06
LLM routing: choose a model per task with explicit constraints
LLM routing selects a model or endpoint for a request according to a policy. A useful routing policy balances task requirements, measured quality, latency, availability, and total cost.
SummaryKey takeaways
What you need to know
Start with the core questions, then examine the examples and tradeoffs below.
01Deep dive
Separate access from route selection
A gateway provides a common access layer; routing decides which eligible model or venue should serve a request. A gateway can include routing, and a routing service can expose an API. Compare the actual supported behavior rather than assuming these labels describe mutually exclusive products.
o10 exposes an OpenAI-compatible endpoint with routing aliases. Applications can integrate that endpoint while keeping their own retrieval, tools, permissions, and business logic.
02Deep dive
Define eligibility before price
A candidate must satisfy required features and applicable policy before its price is compared. Define how the system behaves when no route qualifies, an endpoint times out, or a pinned model becomes unavailable.
An aggregate evaluation score does not validate every response. A quality floor describes measured acceptance criteria for a task; output checks and monitoring remain necessary after routing.
03Deep dive
Compare proposed routes before changing production
A shadow comparison can record alternatives without replacing the user-facing response. Include the candidate calls and evaluation overhead in the experiment budget. Segment results by workload so changes in traffic mix do not masquerade as savings.
Release to a limited portion of traffic, track accepted outcomes and errors, and retain a rollback. Revisit the policy after changes to model versions, prompts, tool schemas, or provider behavior.
SourceMethodology
Cost examples are illustrative. Measure quality and total costs on your own tasks, and check current endpoint terms before implementation.
FAQFrequently asked questions
Common questions
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See what you're overpaying →verified savings methodology · State of Inference Spend 2026