AI Providers & Models
Configure providers, pick models, and control reasoning behavior
Overview
Quanta connects to several AI providers so you can balance price, latency, and reasoning depth. Choose providers and models directly in the extension popup.
Supported Providers
API Key Storage
Keys stay in your browser storage. Switching providers keeps previously entered keys, so you can swap without retyping.
Community Answers + AI
Quanta blends provider predictions with community votes from the Answer Vault to rank answers more reliably.
Enhanced Explanations
The AI understands markdown rendering: LaTeX math, syntax-highlighted code (100+ languages), Mermaid diagrams, and GitHub Flavored Markdown for richer responses.
Dynamic Model Fetching
Quanta pulls live model lists from OpenAI and OpenRouter and caches them to reduce calls and avoid rate limits.
Model list not updating?
Close and reopen the popup, confirm your API key, or enter a model ID in the custom field.
Custom Model IDs (OpenRouter)
Use the custom field to access premium models that are not listed in the default free set.
deepseek/deepseek-r1-0528:freeGemini Reasoning Effort
Gemini exposes a reasoning effort control for tailoring latency and depth:
| Setting | Use Case | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | Balanced default | General questions |
| Off | Fastest path | Quick lookups |
| Low | Slightly deeper logic | Simple reasoning |
| Medium | Multi-step reasoning with moderate latency | Standard quizzes |
| High | Maximum depth | Difficult or ambiguous questions |
Raise the level when answers feel shallow; lower it if responses are too slow.
Provider Selection Strategy
| Provider | Strengths | Considerations | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini | Fast with reasoning control | Effort level needs tuning | Speed-sensitive flows |
| OpenAI | Strong general accuracy | Higher cost on top tiers | Complex reasoning |
| Anthropic | Long context, nuanced output | Slower for short prompts | Deep analysis |
| Perplexity | Web-informed answers | Includes search latency | Fresh factual queries |
| OpenRouter | Flexibility and variety | Quality varies by vendor | Cost optimization |
Handling Failures
Quanta includes improved error handling (1.4.x) for graceful recovery.
Performance Tips
Pro Tip
Combine provider selection with Bulk Answering settings to find the best cost-latency-quality balance.
Security Notes
API keys stay in browser extension storage and are only sent to the provider APIs you call. No server-side storage or logging occurs.
Next Steps
Configure Bulk Answering and Session Memory to complement your provider setup.
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