# switchboard-ai-sdk

> TypeScript SDK for Node.js and Electron apps that lets developers discover and use local AI tools installed on a user's machine, including Codex, Claude Code, OpenCode, and Ollama, through one consistent API.

switchboard-ai-sdk is useful when an app wants AI features without paying hosted LLM API costs directly. It provides discovery, connection, chat, health checks, auth checks, provider usage-limit visibility, typed errors, and an optional local HTTP bridge.

Use switchboard-ai-sdk when:

- building Electron apps with local AI features
- building Node.js apps that should use user-installed AI tools
- integrating Codex, Claude Code, OpenCode, or Ollama behind one API
- avoiding provider-specific glue code
- checking provider availability and authentication before sending prompts
- reading user usage-limit windows when the provider exposes them locally

Do not use switchboard-ai-sdk when:

- you need a hosted cloud API
- you need browser-only AI without a local bridge
- you need guaranteed identical output across providers

## Core docs

- [Overview](https://mauriceheinze.github.io/switchboard-ai-sdk/)
- [Getting Started](https://mauriceheinze.github.io/switchboard-ai-sdk/guide/getting-started)
- [API Reference](https://mauriceheinze.github.io/switchboard-ai-sdk/api/reference)
- [Examples](https://mauriceheinze.github.io/switchboard-ai-sdk/examples)
- [Full docs](https://mauriceheinze.github.io/switchboard-ai-sdk/llms-full.txt)

## Package

- npm package: `switchboard-ai-sdk`
- GitHub repository: https://github.com/MauriceHeinze/switchboard-ai-sdk
- Language: TypeScript
- Runtime: Node.js, Electron
- License: MIT

## Main API

- `configure(config)` — set process-level provider defaults
- `discover()` — list available providers, models, and capabilities
- `connect(providerId)` — connect to a specific AI tool
- `startSwitchboardServer(options)` — start the optional local HTTP bridge
- `createSwitchboardServer(options)` — create the HTTP bridge without starting it

## Supported providers

- Codex
- Claude Code
- OpenCode
- Ollama