# How to use Factory Droid with Subconscious

> To use Factory Droid with Subconscious, add a custom model to `~/.factory/settings.json` with provider `generic-chat-completion-api`, base URL `https://api.subconscious.dev/v1` and model `subconscious/glm-5.3-marathon`. Run droid, open /model and pick it from Custom models. Droid then runs on Subconscious, billed per token.

Canonical page: https://www.subconscious.dev/agents/terminal-and-ide/factory
Category: [Terminal and IDE agents](https://www.subconscious.dev/agents/terminal-and-ide)
Last verified: 2026-09-30
Factory Droid: https://factory.ai

## Before you start

- A Subconscious account and API key

## Set up Factory Droid

### 1. Install Droid

Homebrew (brew install --cask droid) and npm (npm install -g droid) also work.

```bash
curl -fsSL https://app.factory.ai/cli | sh
```

### 2. Create a Subconscious API key

Sign in at https://platform.subconscious.dev, create an API key, and export it so the tool can read it.

```bash
export SUBCONSCIOUS_API_KEY="your_key"
```

### 3. Add Subconscious as a custom model

generic-chat-completion-api is the provider type for OpenAI Chat Completions endpoints. Droid expands the key variable from your environment.

```json
{
  "customModels": [
    {
      "model": "subconscious/glm-5.3-marathon",
      "displayName": "Subconscious GLM-5.3 Marathon",
      "baseUrl": "https://api.subconscious.dev/v1",
      "apiKey": "${SUBCONSCIOUS_API_KEY}",
      "provider": "generic-chat-completion-api",
      "maxOutputTokens": 16384
    }
  ]
}
```

### 4. Select the model

Start droid, run /model and choose Subconscious GLM-5.3 Marathon from the Custom models section.

```bash
droid
```

## Connection details

- OpenAI-compatible base URL: https://api.subconscious.dev/v1
- Anthropic-compatible base URL: https://api.subconscious.dev
- API key: From subc login or the Subconscious dashboard
- Model: subconscious/glm-5.3-marathon
- Multimodal, high-throughput model: subconscious/deepseek-v4.1-flash-marathon

Full API reference: https://docs.subconscious.dev

## Frequently asked questions

### Why is my custom model missing in Factory Droid?

Organization admins can turn off custom models in Factory's enterprise controls. Check with your admin if the Custom models section does not appear.

### Which Subconscious model should I use with Factory Droid?

Start with subconscious/glm-5.3-marathon, an open frontier coding model built for long agent runs. subconscious/deepseek-v4.1-flash-marathon is a cheaper, high-throughput alternative that also takes image input. Use the full model ID, including the subconscious/ prefix.

### Is Factory Droid on Subconscious OpenAI- or Anthropic-compatible?

This guide connects Factory Droid through the OpenAI-compatible Subconscious API. Subconscious serves both formats: OpenAI Chat Completions at https://api.subconscious.dev/v1 and Anthropic Messages at https://api.subconscious.dev.

### How is Factory Droid usage on Subconscious billed?

Per token by default, with no commitment. Heavy users can switch to a monthly token plan: a fixed price for a large daily token allowance shared across your team.