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CloudLast verified May 11, 2026

OpenRouter data retention policy

OpenRouter is a routing layer, so retention and training behavior depend on the downstream provider you route to. Verified policy summary plus how to route OpenRouter through Meetily as a BYOK summary provider.

Quick policy snapshot

Default retention
See vendor policy
Zero data retention available
No
Trains on API customer data by default
No

OpenRouter's two-hop architecture

OpenRouter is a routing layer that exposes one API and one billing relationship while forwarding requests to dozens of downstream model providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, Mistral, Groq, and many open-weight hosts). This is convenient for model experimentation and cost management, but it changes the privacy model.

Every OpenRouter request crosses two administrative boundaries:

  1. Your client to OpenRouter (api.openrouter.ai).
  2. OpenRouter to the downstream provider you selected.

OpenRouter sees the prompt to route and log usage. The downstream provider receives the prompt to generate the response. The retention and training defaults that apply to your data are the union of both parties' policies.

Retention and training defaults

OpenRouter itself does not train models. Its privacy policy emphasizes that "we do not control, and are not responsible for, LLMs' handling of your Inputs or Outputs, including for use in their model training." The downstream provider's policy governs whether your prompt is used for training and how long it is retained at that provider.

For OpenRouter-side data (account, billing, usage metadata, and any logging it performs), retention follows their general business and legal-obligations policy.

Zero data retention

ZDR through OpenRouter is not a single toggle. It requires:

  • The downstream provider to support ZDR on the endpoint you call.
  • Your OpenRouter and provider account to be eligible.
  • The provider-specific endpoint to be one of the ZDR-eligible endpoints listed in their documentation.

OpenRouter exposes provider-by-provider data policies in their docs. For high-assurance no-retention workloads, calling the provider directly is usually cleaner than going through OpenRouter.

How Meetily uses OpenRouter

Meetily routes OpenRouter traffic through your own API key. Both OpenRouter's terms and the downstream provider's terms apply. The transcript text is sent over TLS to api.openrouter.ai, forwarded to the downstream provider you selected, and the response is returned to Meetily and stored locally on your device. Audio is never transmitted to OpenRouter at any point.

For production summary traffic with strict privacy requirements, calling the underlying provider directly (or running local Ollama) removes the OpenRouter administrative boundary entirely.

Last verified: May 11, 2026 . Policy source: OpenRouter policy

Frequently asked questions

Does OpenRouter train models on my prompts?
No. OpenRouter is a routing service, not a model provider. It does not train any foundation models. However, prompts are forwarded to the downstream provider you select, and that provider's training and retention defaults apply to the request body.
Does OpenRouter retain my prompts?
OpenRouter's privacy policy notes that prompts are governed by section five of their Terms of Service and that OpenRouter does not control downstream provider handling. For OpenRouter-side metadata, retention follows their general policy: retained as long as reasonably necessary for business and legal obligations.
Is zero data retention available for OpenRouter?
Not as a single switch. ZDR with OpenRouter requires that the downstream provider you route to must offer ZDR on the endpoint you call. OpenRouter exposes provider-by-provider data policies in their documentation; check each provider's policy before relying on ZDR through OpenRouter.
How does the routing layer affect my data path?
An OpenRouter call is two hops: your client to OpenRouter, then OpenRouter to the downstream provider. OpenRouter sees the prompt to route and log usage. The downstream provider receives the prompt to generate the response. Your data crosses one additional administrative boundary versus calling the provider directly.
Where is OpenRouter data stored geographically?
OpenRouter operates primarily on US infrastructure. Downstream provider geography depends on which provider and endpoint you select. For EU data-residency requirements, calling EU-resident providers (Mistral, Azure OpenAI EU regions) directly is usually a cleaner data path than routing through OpenRouter.
How do I delete data OpenRouter has retained?
Account deletion is available via email request per OpenRouter's privacy policy. Downstream-provider data deletion is the responsibility of the user under that provider's policy.
How does Meetily handle OpenRouter when I pick it as my summary provider?
Meetily transcription is always 100% local. When you select an OpenRouter-routed model as your summary provider via BYOK, Meetily routes transcript text (not audio) to api.openrouter.ai using your own key. OpenRouter forwards the request to the downstream provider you selected. Both administrative boundaries apply.
When does it make sense to use OpenRouter with Meetily versus a direct provider?
OpenRouter is useful for testing multiple models behind one API and for cost-routing across providers. For production summary traffic with strict privacy requirements, calling the underlying provider directly removes one administrative boundary and one set of terms to audit. For zero retention by construction, use local Ollama and keep the entire pipeline on-device.

Use OpenRouter with Meetily, on your terms

Meetily transcription stays 100% local. For summaries, bring your own OpenRouter key (BYOK) so the data path matches the policy you just read - or pick a local model if you want zero retention by construction.

Set up BYOKDownload Meetily