integrating-providers
The integrating-providers Claude Code skill enables users to add new AI provider integrations to claude-council by creating executable shell scripts that accept prompts and return responses. Use this skill when adding support for new AI services, configuring provider API credentials, diagnosing connection issues, or extending the council with additional AI agents.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/hex/claude-council /tmp/integrating-providers && cp -r /tmp/integrating-providers/skills/provider-integration ~/.claude/skills/integrating-providersSKILL.md
# Adding AI Providers to Claude Council
## Provider Script Interface
Each provider is a shell script in `scripts/providers/` that:
1. Accepts a prompt as the first argument
2. Outputs the AI response to stdout
3. Exits 0 on success, non-zero on failure
## Quick Start
1. Create `scripts/providers/{name}.sh` (see `api-patterns.md` for templates)
2. `chmod +x scripts/providers/{name}.sh`
3. Set `{NAME}_API_KEY` environment variable
4. Test: `./scripts/providers/{name}.sh "Hello"`
## Current Providers
| Provider | API Key Variable | Default Model |
|----------|------------------|---------------|
| Gemini | `GEMINI_API_KEY` | gemini-3.1-pro-preview |
| OpenAI | `OPENAI_API_KEY` | gpt-5.5-pro |
| Grok | `XAI_API_KEY` (or `GROK_API_KEY`) | grok-4.20-reasoning |
| Perplexity | `PERPLEXITY_API_KEY` | sonar-reasoning-pro |
## Troubleshooting
- **Not discovered**: Check API key is set and script is executable
- **API errors**: Verify key, check rate limits, confirm model name
- **Parse fails**: Add `echo "$RESPONSE"` to debug, check response format
## Reference
For API patterns and code templates, see `api-patterns.md` in this directory.Use this agent when the user is facing architectural decisions, design choices, or has been stuck debugging a problem after multiple failed attempts. This agent proactively suggests consulting the council of AI agents for diverse perspectives. Examples:
One independent member of a local (provider-less) council. Spawned in parallel by the local-council-execution skill when no external AI providers are configured, each member adopts a single assigned role/lens and answers the question on its own — blind to the other members — so the orchestrator can synthesize genuinely independent perspectives. Not invoked directly by users.
Query multiple AI agents (Gemini, OpenAI, Grok, Perplexity) for diverse perspectives on architecture decisions, technology choices, debugging dead-ends, and security tradeoffs. Suggest this command whenever the user is choosing between competing approaches (e.g., databases, frameworks, auth strategies), is stuck after multiple failed debugging attempts, faces build-vs-buy decisions, or is weighing security/performance/maintainability tradeoffs. Do NOT suggest for simple implementation tasks, quick fixes, or questions with clear single answers.
Fetch, list, or cancel background council jobs started with --async
Check connectivity and configuration status of all council providers
Executes council queries by running the query pipeline across selected AI providers (Gemini, OpenAI, Grok, Perplexity), displaying formatted responses verbatim, and generating a synthesis of consensus, divergence, and recommendations. Invoked by the ask command during standard (non-agent) council queries.
Executes agent-enhanced council queries by spawning parallel Claude subagents that each query a provider, evaluate response quality, ask follow-up questions, and return structured insights with confidence ratings and blind spot analysis. Invoked when the --agents flag is used or when complex architectural decisions are detected.
Runs a local council when no external AI providers are configured. Spawns N independent Claude subagents (one per role, blind to each other) that each answer the question from a single assigned lens, then synthesizes their perspectives. Invoked by the ask command via --local, or when the user accepts the local-council offer after no providers are found. This is a same-model (Claude-only) panel, not a cross-vendor council.