Switch models without touching your apps

You’ll get: one stable model name, such as nexus-coder, for all your apps. When a better local model comes out, you move the name to it in Nexus. Every app that uses the name switches, with no change to the apps.

You need:

• A local model your apps should use now, such as Qwen3.8-27B. See Models.
• A Nexus API key. Make one in Connections.

Add the alias

1. Open Model Aliases and click Add alias.
2. Under Model, pick Qwen3.8-27B.
3. Under Add aliases, type nexus-coder and click Add.
4. Click Save aliases.

Point your apps at it

Use the alias wherever the app asks for a model:

curl http://127.0.0.1:3939/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer msty_nexus_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model": "nexus-coder", "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Write a test for this function"}]}'

Put your API key in place of msty_nexus_key_here.

Move it to a new model

An alias belongs to one model at a time. Nexus refuses a name that another model already uses, so you remove it first, then add it again.

1. On Model Aliases, find nexus-coder under Qwen3.8-27B and click its delete button (Delete alias nexus-coder). Click Delete alias to confirm.
2. Click Add alias, pick the new model, such as Qwen3.6-35B-A3B, type nexus-coder under Add aliases and click Add.
3. Click Save aliases.

Requests fail between the two steps

From the delete until you save the new alias, requests for nexus-coder fail. Do both steps one after the other, at a quiet time. Before you delete or move an alias, find the apps, presets and Smart Routes that use it.

Check it worked

List the models your key can see:

curl http://127.0.0.1:3939/v1/models -H "Authorization: Bearer msty_nexus_key_here"

The list has an entry with "id": "nexus-coder". Its msty_alias_for names the model behind it. Send a request with the alias, and Activity → Live stream shows the new model.

When apps can’t see the alias

• An alias shows only while its model is visible and working. Hide or remove the model, and the alias goes too.
• A key that can’t use the model can’t use its alias either. Team policy and key limits apply to the model behind it.
• Chat Lab shows only aliases for chat models its selected key may use.

A real model ID always wins over an alias. More in Model Aliases. For fixed settings with the name, use a preset.