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Ollama Cloud

What It Does​

Ollama Cloud is Ollama's own hosted model service — separate from running Ollama locally. Instead of your instance running the model, it runs on Ollama's servers, and you connect with an API key.

Why It Matters​

Ollama Cloud sits between local and fully-hosted options: you get open-source models without needing to provision hardware or manage downloads yourself, at a cost you pay directly to Ollama rather than per-token through OpenRouter.

How to Connect​

  1. Create an account and generate an API key at Ollama's cloud service.
  2. In CrabShack, open Services (under More) and find the Ollama Cloud section.
  3. Paste your API key and click Connect.
  4. Click Test Connection to confirm it's working — you'll see the number of models available.

Once connected, Ollama Cloud models appear alongside your other options anywhere you pick a model for an agent.

Scenario

A consultancy wants to try a specific open-source model for a client project without setting up local hardware or committing to per-token hosted pricing. They sign up for Ollama Cloud, paste the API key into Services, and the model shows up immediately in that agent's model picker.

If This Goes Wrong​

  1. Test Connection shows "Unreachable" or an error — re-check the API key was copied correctly from your Ollama Cloud account; keys are easy to truncate when copying.
  2. No models appear after connecting — confirm your Ollama Cloud subscription/account is active.