Switchback MCP
Server Configuration
Describes the environment variables required to run the server.
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| OPENROUTER_API_KEY | Yes | OpenRouter API key (get one at https://openrouter.ai/keys) | |
| SWITCHBACK_CLASSIFIER_MODEL | No | Override the classifier model (default: openai/gpt-5.4-mini) | openai/gpt-5.4-mini |
Instructions
Guidance the server publishes about itself, which clients place ahead of the tool catalog so the model reads it before choosing anything.
This server publishes no instructions, or was last inspected before Glama recorded them.
Capabilities
Features and capabilities supported by this server
Protocol revision2025-11-25
| Capability | Details |
|---|---|
| tools | {} |
Tools
Functions exposed to the LLM to take actions
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| classify_turnA | Classify how complex a user request is on a 0/1/2 scale. Use this when you're orchestrating an agent and want to decide whether to spend on a flagship model (tier 2), a mid-tier model (tier 1), or stay cheap (tier 0). Returns {tier, why, fallback, durationMs}. |
| recommend_modelA | Given a ladder of models (cheap → flagship) and a user message, return the cheapest model on the ladder that can plausibly handle it, plus reasoning. The ladder should be brand-locked (all-Anthropic, all-OpenAI, etc.) to honor your user's BYOK provider. |
Prompts
Interactive templates invoked by user choice
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No prompts | |
Resources
Contextual data attached and managed by the client
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
No resources | |
TDQS
Scored across 2 tools
The two tools both relate to routing user requests to models, so an agent could confuse classifying a turn with recommending a model. However, the inputs and outputs are distinct enough—one returns a tier, the other returns a specific model—to be workable with clear descriptions.
Both tools follow a consistent verb_noun snake_case pattern: classify_turn and recommend_model. Naming is predictable and clearly indicates the action and object.
With only two tools, the server feels thin, but the scope is narrow enough that both tools can earn their place. The count is borderline rather than egregiously insufficient.
The server covers the core routing workflow: classifying complexity and selecting a cost-appropriate model. Minor gaps exist, such as no combined route tool or ladder management, but agents can work around these using the provided inputs.