How to Create AI Motion Videos Using OpenRouter and Poko

If you already use OpenRouter for AI models, you can connect it to Poko Motion and use that setup to create AI motion videos from your own prompts, links, documents, or product materials.

The setup is simple: turn on Bring your own key, paste your OpenRouter details into the AI gateway section, choose the custom route in Poko's model picker, and run a small test video.

This is useful when you want Poko's video workflow but prefer OpenRouter for model billing or model choice. You still use Poko Motion to build the video. OpenRouter only handles the model route behind the scenes.

The main thing to get right is the Base URL. For this setup, use https://openrouter.ai/api. Do not use the more common https://openrouter.ai/api/v1 value here, because this Poko workflow needs the OpenRouter route that works with the video agent.

What you need before starting

You need three things before you connect OpenRouter to Poko Motion:

• A Poko Motion account with AI gateway access
• An OpenRouter API key
• The OpenRouter model ID you want to use

The model ID is the exact name OpenRouter shows for the model, such as anthropic/claude-sonnet-4 or another compatible model you want to test. Do not paste a friendly display name like “Claude Sonnet.” Use the real model ID.

If you are not sure which model to start with, choose a model you already trust for longer creative tasks. Poko Motion's agent workflow works best when the model follows instructions well and can stay focused through a full video build.

The takeaway: collect the key and model ID first, then the Poko setup takes less than a minute.

Step 1: Turn on Bring your own key in Poko

Open Poko Motion and go to Settings. In the model settings area, choose Bring your own key instead of Poko credits.

This tells Poko that you want model usage to run through your own provider setup. You will still use Poko's editor, video agent, local preview, and export flow. Only the AI model billing route changes.

You may still see Poko credits in your account for other features. For example, media generation such as sound effects or background music may use Poko credits depending on the current feature support. The OpenRouter setup is mainly for the AI agent/model route.

The takeaway: enable BYOK first, otherwise the custom OpenRouter model will not appear in the model picker.

Step 2: Add OpenRouter in the AI gateway section

In the AI gateway section, fill the fields like this:

Base URL: https://openrouter.ai/api
API key: your OpenRouter API key
Model: your OpenRouter model ID

For example, if you want to use GLM 5.2 through OpenRouter, enter its OpenRouter model ID in the Model field. If you want to use a Claude model through OpenRouter, paste the Claude model ID shown in OpenRouter.

The Base URL is the easy part to mistype. Use:

https://openrouter.ai/api

Do not use:

https://openrouter.ai/api/v1

The /api/v1 URL is common in OpenAI-style examples, but this Poko route expects the OpenRouter endpoint that supports the video agent workflow.

The takeaway: if the custom route does not work, check the Base URL first.

Step 3: Select the custom route in the model picker

After the settings are saved, go back to your Poko Studio project and open the model picker in the chat area.

You should see a new option under Custom / local model. It will look like:

Custom route · your-model-id

Choose that option before sending your next video request.

If a session is already running, Poko may apply the change on the next request. That is normal. For a clean test, start with a new prompt after selecting the custom route.

The takeaway: entering the gateway details is not enough; you also need to select the custom route before generating the video.

Step 4: Create a small test motion video

Start with a short request so you can confirm the setup works before spending time on a larger video.

Try something like:

Create a 20-second product explainer from this landing page. Keep it simple, use no background music, and make a quick draft.

A small test helps you catch setup issues quickly. If the model route works, Poko will start the agent and begin building the video as usual.

If it fails, check these three things:

• The Base URL is exactly https://openrouter.ai/api
• Your OpenRouter API key is active and has credits
• The model field contains a real OpenRouter model ID

The takeaway: test with a small draft first, then use the same route for full product videos, tutorials, launch videos, or repo-to-video workflows.

When should you use OpenRouter with Poko?

Use OpenRouter with Poko Motion when you already manage model usage in OpenRouter, want to try a specific model, or prefer to keep model billing outside Poko credits.

Use Poko credits when you want the simplest experience. No API keys. No model IDs. No gateway setup.

For most beginners, Poko credits are the easiest path. For power users, OpenRouter gives more control over which model runs the video agent.

The takeaway: OpenRouter is best when you care about model routing; Poko credits are best when you want the fastest setup.

Common OpenRouter setup mistakes

The first mistake is using the wrong Base URL. For Poko Motion, use https://openrouter.ai/api.

The second mistake is entering a display name instead of a model ID. Use the exact OpenRouter model ID.

The third mistake is forgetting to select the custom route in the model picker after saving settings.

The fourth mistake is testing with a large project first. Use a short motion video prompt before trying a full product demo.

The takeaway: most issues come from one missing field or one wrong URL, not from Poko or OpenRouter being broken.

Once those pieces are set, you can use the same OpenRouter route for product explainers, tutorials, launch videos, and repo-to-video projects inside Poko Motion.