Connect a model

ICAP has no model of its own. It uses a model from a provider that you choose. The procedure on a computer is different from the procedure on a phone or tablet.

On a computer

The agent on a computer is Pi. Pi is in the plugin. You do not install it.

Log in to a provider

1. Open Settings → ICAP Learning Agent.
2. In Model providers, select Log in….
3. Select the provider.
4. Do one of these:
   • Select Account to use a subscription that you have, for example Claude Pro or ChatGPT.
   • Type an API key.
5. In Model, select the model that the agent uses.

Pi keeps the credential in ~/.pi/agent/auth.json. The Pi command line uses the same file. ICAP does not keep a copy.

Note

A key in your shell profile also works, for example export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=… in ~/.zshrc. Obsidian reads it at the next start. Then select ↻ next to the status at the top of the settings.

Use a model that Pi does not list

Use a custom endpoint for Ollama, LM Studio, vLLM, a proxy, or another OpenAI-compatible API.

1. In Model providers, select Custom endpoint….
2. Type a name, the base URL, the API key and the model IDs.
3. Select Save.

Pi keeps the endpoint in ~/.pi/agent/models.json.

Caution

A key in models.json is plain text. To keep the key out of the file, type $NAME in place of the key. Pi then reads the environment variable NAME.

On a phone or tablet

Obsidian on a phone does not have Node, and Pi needs Node. On a phone, ICAP uses its own agent with the same model libraries.

Add an API key

1. Open Settings → ICAP Learning Agent.
2. In API keys, find your provider. To get a key, select Get a key.
3. Type the key.
4. In Model, select the model that the agent uses.

Keys are in Obsidian’s keychain on that device. They are not in the vault, and they do not sync. Add a key on each device.

Providers on a phone: Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, OpenRouter, DeepSeek, Mistral, Groq and xAI.

Add an endpoint

1. In Custom endpoints, find Add endpoint, then select Add….
2. Type a name, the base URL and the model IDs. If the server needs a key, turn on Needs an API key and type the key.
3. Select Save.

When you save, ICAP checks if the server lets the app stream the reply. If it does not, the reply comes in one piece. You then see “waiting for the complete reply…”.

Caution

If the reply comes in one piece, the stop button is stop waiting — this request is still billed. It stops only the wait. The server completes the request, and the provider bills it.

What a phone cannot do

• Log in with a subscription, or use Bedrock or Vertex.
• Use your Pi setup: skills, extensions, MCP servers and /compact.
• Read folders outside the vault.

The model on a phone is a different setting from the model on a computer.

Next: Your first lesson.