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Agent Development / AGENT SKILL
qianwen-model-selector
0
Recommend Qwen models and parameters based on capabilities, pricing, usage, and costs.
Recommend the best Qwen model and parameters. TRIGGER when: choosing between Qwen models, comparing Qwen model pricing, understanding Qwen model capabilities, checking usage or billing, viewing cost history, when an execution skill needs model selection advice, or user explicitly invokes this skill by name (e.g. use qianwen-model-selector). DO NOT TRIGGER when: non-Qwen model discussions (OpenAI, Gemini, etc.), general AI questions unrelated to Qwen.
Understand the trade-offs.
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The full skill.
Original instructions from the publisher’s SKILL.md
# Qwen Model Selector (Advisor)
## Detecting Key Type
Run this command to detect the API key type (outputs `token-plan`, `payg`, or `not-set`):
```bash
python3 -c "
import os
from pathlib import Path
env_file = Path('.env')
if not env_file.exists():
for parent in [Path.cwd()] + list(Path.cwd().parents):
if (parent / '.git').exists() or (parent / 'skills').is_dir():
env_file = parent / '.env'
break
if env_file.exists():
for line in env_file.read_text().splitlines():
line = line.strip()
if not line or line.startswith('#') or '=' not in line:
continue
k, v = line.split('=', 1)
k, v = k.strip(), v.strip().strip('\"').strip(\"'\")
if k in ('QIANWEN_API_KEY', 'DASHSCOPE_API_KEY') and k not in os.environ:
os.environ[k] = v
key = os.environ.get('QIANWEN_API_KEY') or os.environ.get('DASHSCOPE_API_KEY') or ''
print('token-plan' if key.startswith('sk-sp-') else 'payg' if key else 'not-set')
"
```
| Output | Billing mode | Action |
|--------|-------------|--------|
| `token-plan` | Token Plan (Credits) | Fetch the current [Token Plan model catalog](https://alioth.alicdn.com/skills-info/models/references/qianwen-token-plan-models.md) and select only from it. Default to Team superset when edition unknown. If CDN access fails, use the [local fallback](cdn/references/qianwen-token-plan-models.md). |
| `payg` | Pay-as-you-go | Full model catalog available; continue below. |
| `not-set` | No key configured | **Do not block.** Ask the user: "Which approach do you plan to use? (1) Standard PAYG key (2) Token Plan key (3) Skip for now — just browse recommendations." Proceed based on their choice. |
> **Windows**: If `python3` is not available, use `python`. The multi-line `-c` string works in both
> PowerShell and CMD. Alternatively, save the snippet to a temporary `.py` file and run it.
This skill operates in two modes:
1. **Interactive advisory** — asks diagnostic questions to recommend the right model (see Diagnostic Flow).
2. **Cross-skill resolution** — provides a fast-path model lookup for execution skills that need a model
decision without user interaction. Fetch the
[CDN recommendations](https://alioth.alicdn.com/skills-info/models/references/qianwen-model-recommendations.md)
first; if CDN access fails, use the
[local fallback](cdn/references/qianwen-model-recommendations.md).
Do not fabricate model names — only recommend models listed in the CDN model catalogs or returned by CLI.
This skill is part of **QianWen-AI/qianwen-ai**.
## Skill directory
Load on demand. Fetch the documented CDN model catalogs when model lists, defaults, or recommendations are needed. Do not fetch other external URLs unless the user explicitly asks for the latest data.
Every path under `cdn/` is a local fallback, not the primary source. For `cdn/<path>`, first fetch
`https://alioth.alicdn.com/skills-info/models/<path>` and use the local file only if that CDN request fails.
| Location | Purpose |
|-------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `references/cli-usage.md` | **CLI-first data strategy**: when to use CLI, 3-step login flow, display rules |
| `references/error-handling.md` | CLI error classification & recovery actions (auth, not-found, network, ...) |
| [CDN model recommendations](https://alioth.alicdn.com/skills-info/models/references/qianwen-model-recommendations.md) | Cross-domain recommendations and Token Plan constraints; if unavailable, use the [local fallback](cdn/references/qianwen-model-recommendations.md) |
| `references/pricing-disclaimer.md` | PAYG only: pricing disclaimer (CN/EN) + console links |
| `references/pricing.md` | Stable billing units, cost caveats, and CDN pricing fallback |
| [CDN model catalog](https://alioth.alicdn.com/skills-info/models/references/qianwen-model-list.md) | Cross-domain model catalog snapshot; if unavailable, use the [local fallback](cdn/references/qianwen-model-list.md) |
| `references/sources.md` | Official documentation URLs (manual lookup only) |
## Prerequisites
**QianWen CLI is strongly recommended** — it is the authoritative real-time data source for model
availability, pricing, and quotas. Verify with:
```bash
qianwen version
```
If not installed:
```bash
npm install -g @qianwenai/qianwen-cli
```
Node.js >= 18 is required for the CLI. Without CLI, you can still answer point-in-time general
navigation and basic model-information questions from the CDN catalogs. You cannot verify current
availability, exact current prices, capability-search results beyond the snapshot, or account-specific
quota information.
## Security & Credential Model
QianWen has **two independent credential systems** — never confuse them:
| Credential | Purpose | How to provide |
|------------|---------|----------------|
| **API Key** (`sk-...` / `sk-sp-...`) | Call model APIs in your code | `$DASHSCOPE_API_KEY` / `$QIANWEN_API_KEY` env var |
| **CLI session** | Authorize `qianwen` CLI subcommands | `qianwen auth login` (browser device flow) |
**Red lines (apply to both):**
- **NEVER output any credential value in plaintext.** Use variable references; report only status
("set" / "not set", "valid" / "invalid"). Never display `.env` or config file contents.
- **NEVER conflate the two systems.** When CLI returns `Not authenticated` / `AUTH_REQUIRED`, run the
3-step device-flow login (see [cli-usage.md](references/cli-usage.md#authentication-3-step-login-flow)).
**DO NOT** ask the user for an API key, and **DO NOT** try to set `$DASHSCOPE_API_KEY` to fix CLI auth.
## Data Resolution Order
Match the user's question to the right data source. **Do not fall back to a lower tier without trying
the recovery actions in the higher tier first.**
| Question type | Primary source | Notes |
|----------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
| General navigation or point-in-time basic model details | [CDN recommendations and domain catalogs](https://alioth.alicdn.com/skills-info/models/references/qianwen-model-recommendations.md) | Fetch before answering. If CDN access fails, use the corresponding [local fallback](cdn/references/qianwen-model-recommendations.md). State that catalog data is a snapshot when currentness matters. |
| **Current / exact / account-specific** (availability, price, quota) | **CLI MUST be used** — see `cli-usage.md` | Snapshots cannot verify current state; never invent numbers |
| Search by capability ("model that does X") | `qianwen models search "<X>" --format json` | Snapshot keyword coverage is incomplete |
| CLI returned an error | `error-handling.md` recovery actions, **then retry** | Auth failure → run 3-step login, do not skip to snapshot |
| CLI completely unavailable AND user declines install/login | CDN model catalogs + `pricing.md` | Answer only snapshot-supported facts with a stale-data caveat; do not claim current availability, exact current price, or account quota |
| All of the above cannot answer AND user confirms online lookup | URLs in `sources.md` | Never proactively fetch |
## Diagnostic Flow (Interactive Advisory)
> **Prerequisite**: Complete [Detecting Key Type](#detecting-key-type) above and narrow the candidate set before
> proceeding. All recommendations loaded from the CDN catalog must stay within the user's billing scope.
Ask the user (in order):
1. **Content type?** — text / image / video / audio / vision
2. **Primary task?** — generation / understanding / coding / reasoning / translation
3. **Priority?** — quality vs speed vs cost
4. **Input size?** — short / medium / long context
5. **Structured output?** — JSON / function calling needed?
## Default Recommendations
Before recommending any model, check its exact ID against the [official retirement list](https://alioth.alicdn.com/model/prod/model-offline.json) (`id`, `expiredTime`) and any CLI `lifecycle` result. Exclude scheduled or already retired models from defaults and recommendations, even if a catalog or plan still lists them. If the user explicitly selects one, disclose its retirement date and the [announcement](https://platform.qianwenai.com/docs/changelog/model-deprecation), suggest a supported replacement, and do not silently substitute it. If lifecycle data cannot be verified, say so; a snapshot alone is not proof of current availability.
Before choosing a default or recommending a model, fetch and read the current CDN recommendations linked above. For a Token Plan key, also read the Token Plan model catalog linked above and restrict candidates to it.
- If the user explicitly specifies a model, use it after verifying that it is available in the user's billing scope.
- Otherwise, match the strongest task signal first, then choose the appropriate quality, speed, or cost tier.
- If missing requirements would materially change the choice, compare the relevant domain options and ask the user to clarify.
- Preserve the selected model's documented thinking default unless the user or task requires an override; do not enable thinking merely as a generic default for simple tasks.
## CLI Quick Reference
> **Auth required.** All `models` and `usage` commands need an active **CLI session** (browser
> device-flow login — **NOT** the API key). If the command returns `Not authenticated` / `AUTH_REQUIRED`:
> 1. **Run the 3-step device-flow login** in [cli-usage.md](references/cli-usage.md#authentication-3-step-login-flow)
> (proactively open the verification URL using the OS-appropriate command, then poll immediately).
> 2. **Retry the original command** after `success`.
> 3. **DO NOT** ask the user for `$DASHSCOPE_API_KEY` / `$QIANWEN_API_KEY` — those are for model API
> calls, not CLI session. See [Security & Credential Model](#security--credential-model) above.
> 4. **DO NOT** silently fall back to snapshots.
>
> **Token Plan (`sk-sp-` keys)**: Once an active CLI session is established (device-flow login),
> `qianwen usage` commands report both pay-as-you-go usage and Token Plan seat allowance /
> shared-package Credits for the logged-in account. For purchasing shared packages, adjusting
> seats, or full billing history, direct the user to the
> [Token Plan Subscription console](https://platform.qianwenai.com/home/billing/subscription/token-plan).
> Token Plan model availability (text + image + video + TTS) is documented in the
> CDN Token Plan model catalog linked above.
| Need | Command |
|-------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Full model catalog | `qianwen models list --all --format json` |
| Filter by modality | `qianwen models list --input image --output text --format json` |
| Single model details | `qianwen models info <model-id> --format json` |
| Keyword search | `qianwen models search "<query>" --format json` |
| Free tier remaining | `qianwen usage free-tier --format json` |
| Auth status | `qianwen auth status --format json` |
**Display rules**: Parse `--format json` output and present a human-readable summary; never dump raw
JSON. Display `--format text` output as-is, then add analysis after `---`. See
[cli-usage.md](references/cli-usage.md#agent-display-rules-for-cli-output) for details.
## CLI Error Handling — Quick Guide
When CLI fails, **classify first, recover, then retry**. Never silently fall back to snapshots.
| Category | Recovery (summary) |
|-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `auth-failure` | Run 3-step login → **retry the original command**. Fall back only if user declines. |
| `not-installed` | Show install command → ask user to install → retry. Do NOT silently use snapshot. |
| `model-not-found` | Run `qianwen models search "<keyword>"` → propose top 3 → retry with correct ID. |
| `network-timeout` | Retry once after 2s; only after second failure ask whether to fall back. |
| `quota-exhausted` | Show [Billing Console](https://platform.qianwenai.com/home/billing/pay-as-you-go); do NOT use snapshot. |
| `version-mismatch`| Suggest `qianwen version --check` or update-check skill → upgrade → retry. |
| `other` | Show raw stderr; link to docs; only after user opt-out, fall back. |
Full classification, signals, and example flows: [error-handling.md](references/error-handling.md).
## Pricing & Cost Estimation (PAYG only)
Skip this section for Token Plan.
- **Latest pricing**: Run `qianwen models info <model> --format json` first; use the CDN pricing reference
linked by `pricing.md` only as a fallback. **Never invent a price.**
- **Mandatory disclaimer**: Every cost-related answer **must** end with the disclaimer in
[pricing-disclaimer.md](references/pricing-disclaimer.md) (Chinese or English version, matching the
user's response language). Omitting the disclaimer is a **critical failure**.
- **Free quota**: Never assume free quota is available — use `qianwen usage free-tier` to verify or
direct the user to the [console](https://platform.qianwenai.com/home/benefits).
- **Usage / billing queries**: Direct the user to the appropriate console page — see the table in
[pricing-disclaimer.md](references/pricing-disclaimer.md#usage--billing-console).
## Update Check
When the user asks to check for updates ("check for updates", "check version", "is there a new version",
"update skills"):
1. **Find qianwen-update-check**: Look for `qianwen-update-check/SKILL.md` in sibling skill directories.
2. **If found** — run: `python3 <qianwen-update-check-dir>/scripts/check_update.py --print-response`
and report the result. Use `--force` if the user asks to force-check.
3. **If not found** — run `qianwen version --check` and report the result.
## Anti-Patterns
- **Never fabricate model names** — only recommend models listed in the CDN model catalogs or returned by CLI.
- **Never infer the API key type from the request wording** — use the configured Key or calling context.
- **Never recommend a model outside the user's billing scope** — Token Plan keys must only receive
models from the Token Plan model catalog linked above; PAYG
keys may use the full catalog. Violating this causes hard failures for the user.
- **Never invent or guess any price figure** — use CLI / `pricing.md` / official pricing page only.
Fabricating a price is a **critical failure**.
- **Never silently fall back to snapshots when CLI errors out** — apply
[error-handling.md](references/error-handling.md) recovery actions first.
- **Never assume free quota is available** — quotas may have been consumed, expired, or removed. Always
present the paid unit price first.
- **Never output API keys in plaintext** — see Security section.
- **Never confuse CLI session with API key** — CLI auth uses browser device-flow login; never offer
`$DASHSCOPE_API_KEY` or `$QIANWEN_API_KEY` as a fix for CLI `Not authenticated` / `AUTH_REQUIRED` errors.
- **Never proactively fetch arbitrary URLs or trigger web searches.** Fetch the documented CDN model catalogs when model data is needed; access other online sources only when CLI + CDN catalogs cannot answer AND the user confirms.
- **Never construct usage/billing/console URLs** — only use the exact links listed in this skill or its
references. If a URL is not listed, do not invent one.
- **Always include the cost disclaimer** for any cost-related answer (see
[pricing-disclaimer.md](references/pricing-disclaimer.md)).
## References
| Source | Purpose |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [cli-usage.md](references/cli-usage.md) | CLI-first strategy, 3-step login, display rules, model detail URL |
| [error-handling.md](references/error-handling.md) | CLI error classification & recovery |
| [qianwen-model-recommendations.md (CDN)](https://alioth.alicdn.com/skills-info/models/references/qianwen-model-recommendations.md) ([local fallback](cdn/references/qianwen-model-recommendations.md)) | Cross-domain recommendations and Token Plan constraints |
| [pricing-disclaimer.md](references/pricing-disclaimer.md) | Pricing guidance + mandatory disclaimer + billing console links |
| [pricing.md](references/pricing.md) | Stable billing units, cost caveats, and CDN pricing fallback |
| [qianwen-model-list.md (CDN)](https://alioth.alicdn.com/skills-info/models/references/qianwen-model-list.md) ([local fallback](cdn/references/qianwen-model-list.md)) | Cross-domain model catalog snapshot |
| [sources.md](references/sources.md) | Official documentation URLs |
| `qianwen models list --format json` | Dynamic: full model catalog with pricing, features, quotas |
| `qianwen models info <id> --format json` | Dynamic: single model details (pricing tiers, context, rate limits) |
| `qianwen models search "<q>" --format json` | Dynamic: keyword-based model discovery |
| `qianwen usage free-tier --format json` | Dynamic: remaining free tier quota per model |