CrewAI supports custom LLM implementations through the LLM
base class. This allows you to create your own LLM implementations that don't rely on litellm's authentication mechanism.
To create a custom LLM implementation, you need to:
- Inherit from the
LLM
base class - Implement the required methods:
call()
: The main method to call the LLM with messagessupports_function_calling()
: Whether the LLM supports function callingsupports_stop_words()
: Whether the LLM supports stop wordsget_context_window_size()
: The context window size of the LLM
If you don't need a custom LLM implementation, you can use the default implementation provided by CrewAI:
from crewai import LLM
# Create a default LLM instance
llm = LLM.create(model="gpt-4")
# Or with more parameters
llm = LLM.create(
model="gpt-4",
temperature=0.7,
max_tokens=1000,
api_key="your-api-key"
)
from crewai import LLM
from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Union
class CustomLLM(LLM):
def __init__(self, api_key: str, endpoint: str):
super().__init__() # Initialize the base class to set default attributes
if not api_key or not isinstance(api_key, str):
raise ValueError("Invalid API key: must be a non-empty string")
if not endpoint or not isinstance(endpoint, str):
raise ValueError("Invalid endpoint URL: must be a non-empty string")
self.api_key = api_key
self.endpoint = endpoint
self.stop = [] # You can customize stop words if needed
def call(
self,
messages: Union[str, List[Dict[str, str]]],
tools: Optional[List[dict]] = None,
callbacks: Optional[List[Any]] = None,
available_functions: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
) -> Union[str, Any]:
"""Call the LLM with the given messages.
Args:
messages: Input messages for the LLM.
tools: Optional list of tool schemas for function calling.
callbacks: Optional list of callback functions.
available_functions: Optional dict mapping function names to callables.
Returns:
Either a text response from the LLM or the result of a tool function call.
Raises:
TimeoutError: If the LLM request times out.
RuntimeError: If the LLM request fails for other reasons.
ValueError: If the response format is invalid.
"""
# Implement your own logic to call the LLM
# For example, using requests:
import requests
try:
headers = {
"Authorization": f"Bearer {self.api_key}",
"Content-Type": "application/json"
}
# Convert string message to proper format if needed
if isinstance(messages, str):
messages = [{"role": "user", "content": messages}]
data = {
"messages": messages,
"tools": tools
}
response = requests.post(
self.endpoint,
headers=headers,
json=data,
timeout=30 # Set a reasonable timeout
)
response.raise_for_status() # Raise an exception for HTTP errors
return response.json()["choices"][0]["message"]["content"]
except requests.Timeout:
raise TimeoutError("LLM request timed out")
except requests.RequestException as e:
raise RuntimeError(f"LLM request failed: {str(e)}")
except (KeyError, IndexError, ValueError) as e:
raise ValueError(f"Invalid response format: {str(e)}")
def supports_function_calling(self) -> bool:
"""Check if the LLM supports function calling.
Returns:
True if the LLM supports function calling, False otherwise.
"""
# Return True if your LLM supports function calling
return True
def supports_stop_words(self) -> bool:
"""Check if the LLM supports stop words.
Returns:
True if the LLM supports stop words, False otherwise.
"""
# Return True if your LLM supports stop words
return True
def get_context_window_size(self) -> int:
"""Get the context window size of the LLM.
Returns:
The context window size as an integer.
"""
# Return the context window size of your LLM
return 8192
When implementing custom LLMs, it's important to handle errors properly to ensure robustness and reliability. Here are some best practices:
Always wrap API calls in try-except blocks to handle different types of errors:
def call(
self,
messages: Union[str, List[Dict[str, str]]],
tools: Optional[List[dict]] = None,
callbacks: Optional[List[Any]] = None,
available_functions: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
) -> Union[str, Any]:
try:
# API call implementation
response = requests.post(
self.endpoint,
headers=self.headers,
json=self.prepare_payload(messages),
timeout=30 # Set a reasonable timeout
)
response.raise_for_status() # Raise an exception for HTTP errors
return response.json()["choices"][0]["message"]["content"]
except requests.Timeout:
raise TimeoutError("LLM request timed out")
except requests.RequestException as e:
raise RuntimeError(f"LLM request failed: {str(e)}")
except (KeyError, IndexError, ValueError) as e:
raise ValueError(f"Invalid response format: {str(e)}")
For transient failures like network issues or rate limiting, implement retry logic with exponential backoff:
def call(
self,
messages: Union[str, List[Dict[str, str]]],
tools: Optional[List[dict]] = None,
callbacks: Optional[List[Any]] = None,
available_functions: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
) -> Union[str, Any]:
import time
max_retries = 3
retry_delay = 1 # seconds
for attempt in range(max_retries):
try:
response = requests.post(
self.endpoint,
headers=self.headers,
json=self.prepare_payload(messages),
timeout=30
)
response.raise_for_status()
return response.json()["choices"][0]["message"]["content"]
except (requests.Timeout, requests.ConnectionError) as e:
if attempt < max_retries - 1:
time.sleep(retry_delay * (2 ** attempt)) # Exponential backoff
continue
raise TimeoutError(f"LLM request failed after {max_retries} attempts: {str(e)}")
except requests.RequestException as e:
raise RuntimeError(f"LLM request failed: {str(e)}")
Always validate input parameters to prevent runtime errors:
def __init__(self, api_key: str, endpoint: str):
super().__init__()
if not api_key or not isinstance(api_key, str):
raise ValueError("Invalid API key: must be a non-empty string")
if not endpoint or not isinstance(endpoint, str):
raise ValueError("Invalid endpoint URL: must be a non-empty string")
self.api_key = api_key
self.endpoint = endpoint
Provide clear error messages for authentication failures:
def call(
self,
messages: Union[str, List[Dict[str, str]]],
tools: Optional[List[dict]] = None,
callbacks: Optional[List[Any]] = None,
available_functions: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
) -> Union[str, Any]:
try:
response = requests.post(self.endpoint, headers=self.headers, json=data)
if response.status_code == 401:
raise ValueError("Authentication failed: Invalid API key or token")
elif response.status_code == 403:
raise ValueError("Authorization failed: Insufficient permissions")
response.raise_for_status()
# Process response
except Exception as e:
# Handle error
raise
For services that use JWT-based authentication instead of API keys, you can implement a custom LLM like this:
from crewai import LLM, Agent, Task
from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Union
class JWTAuthLLM(LLM):
def __init__(self, jwt_token: str, endpoint: str):
super().__init__() # Initialize the base class to set default attributes
if not jwt_token or not isinstance(jwt_token, str):
raise ValueError("Invalid JWT token: must be a non-empty string")
if not endpoint or not isinstance(endpoint, str):
raise ValueError("Invalid endpoint URL: must be a non-empty string")
self.jwt_token = jwt_token
self.endpoint = endpoint
self.stop = [] # You can customize stop words if needed
def call(
self,
messages: Union[str, List[Dict[str, str]]],
tools: Optional[List[dict]] = None,
callbacks: Optional[List[Any]] = None,
available_functions: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
) -> Union[str, Any]:
"""Call the LLM with JWT authentication.
Args:
messages: Input messages for the LLM.
tools: Optional list of tool schemas for function calling.
callbacks: Optional list of callback functions.
available_functions: Optional dict mapping function names to callables.
Returns:
Either a text response from the LLM or the result of a tool function call.
Raises:
TimeoutError: If the LLM request times out.
RuntimeError: If the LLM request fails for other reasons.
ValueError: If the response format is invalid.
"""
# Implement your own logic to call the LLM with JWT authentication
import requests
try:
headers = {
"Authorization": f"Bearer {self.jwt_token}",
"Content-Type": "application/json"
}
# Convert string message to proper format if needed
if isinstance(messages, str):
messages = [{"role": "user", "content": messages}]
data = {
"messages": messages,
"tools": tools
}
response = requests.post(
self.endpoint,
headers=headers,
json=data,
timeout=30 # Set a reasonable timeout
)
if response.status_code == 401:
raise ValueError("Authentication failed: Invalid JWT token")
elif response.status_code == 403:
raise ValueError("Authorization failed: Insufficient permissions")
response.raise_for_status() # Raise an exception for HTTP errors
return response.json()["choices"][0]["message"]["content"]
except requests.Timeout:
raise TimeoutError("LLM request timed out")
except requests.RequestException as e:
raise RuntimeError(f"LLM request failed: {str(e)}")
except (KeyError, IndexError, ValueError) as e:
raise ValueError(f"Invalid response format: {str(e)}")
def supports_function_calling(self) -> bool:
"""Check if the LLM supports function calling.
Returns:
True if the LLM supports function calling, False otherwise.
"""
return True
def supports_stop_words(self) -> bool:
"""Check if the LLM supports stop words.
Returns:
True if the LLM supports stop words, False otherwise.
"""
return True
def get_context_window_size(self) -> int:
"""Get the context window size of the LLM.
Returns:
The context window size as an integer.
"""
return 8192
Here are some common issues you might encounter when implementing custom LLMs and how to resolve them:
Symptoms: 401 Unauthorized or 403 Forbidden errors
Solutions:
- Verify that your API key or JWT token is valid and not expired
- Check that you're using the correct authentication header format
- Ensure that your token has the necessary permissions
Symptoms: Requests taking too long or timing out
Solutions:
- Implement timeout handling as shown in the examples
- Use retry logic with exponential backoff
- Consider using a more reliable network connection
Symptoms: KeyError, IndexError, or ValueError when processing responses
Solutions:
- Validate the response format before accessing nested fields
- Implement proper error handling for malformed responses
- Check the API documentation for the expected response format
Symptoms: 429 Too Many Requests errors
Solutions:
- Implement rate limiting in your custom LLM
- Add exponential backoff for retries
- Consider using a token bucket algorithm for more precise rate control
Adding logging to your custom LLM can help with debugging and monitoring:
import logging
from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Union
class LoggingLLM(BaseLLM):
def __init__(self, api_key: str, endpoint: str):
super().__init__()
self.api_key = api_key
self.endpoint = endpoint
self.logger = logging.getLogger("crewai.llm.custom")
def call(
self,
messages: Union[str, List[Dict[str, str]]],
tools: Optional[List[dict]] = None,
callbacks: Optional[List[Any]] = None,
available_functions: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
) -> Union[str, Any]:
self.logger.info(f"Calling LLM with {len(messages) if isinstance(messages, list) else 1} messages")
try:
# API call implementation
response = self._make_api_call(messages, tools)
self.logger.debug(f"LLM response received: {response[:100]}...")
return response
except Exception as e:
self.logger.error(f"LLM call failed: {str(e)}")
raise
Implementing rate limiting can help avoid overwhelming the LLM API:
import time
from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Union
class RateLimitedLLM(BaseLLM):
def __init__(
self,
api_key: str,
endpoint: str,
requests_per_minute: int = 60
):
super().__init__()
self.api_key = api_key
self.endpoint = endpoint
self.requests_per_minute = requests_per_minute
self.request_times: List[float] = []
def call(
self,
messages: Union[str, List[Dict[str, str]]],
tools: Optional[List[dict]] = None,
callbacks: Optional[List[Any]] = None,
available_functions: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
) -> Union[str, Any]:
self._enforce_rate_limit()
# Record this request time
self.request_times.append(time.time())
# Make the actual API call
return self._make_api_call(messages, tools)
def _enforce_rate_limit(self) -> None:
"""Enforce the rate limit by waiting if necessary."""
now = time.time()
# Remove request times older than 1 minute
self.request_times = [t for t in self.request_times if now - t < 60]
if len(self.request_times) >= self.requests_per_minute:
# Calculate how long to wait
oldest_request = min(self.request_times)
wait_time = 60 - (now - oldest_request)
if wait_time > 0:
time.sleep(wait_time)
Collecting metrics can help you monitor your LLM usage:
import time
from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Union
class MetricsCollectingLLM(BaseLLM):
def __init__(self, api_key: str, endpoint: str):
super().__init__()
self.api_key = api_key
self.endpoint = endpoint
self.metrics: Dict[str, Any] = {
"total_calls": 0,
"total_tokens": 0,
"errors": 0,
"latency": []
}
def call(
self,
messages: Union[str, List[Dict[str, str]]],
tools: Optional[List[dict]] = None,
callbacks: Optional[List[Any]] = None,
available_functions: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
) -> Union[str, Any]:
start_time = time.time()
self.metrics["total_calls"] += 1
try:
response = self._make_api_call(messages, tools)
# Estimate tokens (simplified)
if isinstance(messages, str):
token_estimate = len(messages) // 4
else:
token_estimate = sum(len(m.get("content", "")) // 4 for m in messages)
self.metrics["total_tokens"] += token_estimate
return response
except Exception as e:
self.metrics["errors"] += 1
raise
finally:
latency = time.time() - start_time
self.metrics["latency"].append(latency)
def get_metrics(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
"""Return the collected metrics."""
avg_latency = sum(self.metrics["latency"]) / len(self.metrics["latency"]) if self.metrics["latency"] else 0
return {
**self.metrics,
"avg_latency": avg_latency
}
If your LLM supports function calling, you can implement the function calling logic in your custom LLM:
import json
from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Union
def call(
self,
messages: Union[str, List[Dict[str, str]]],
tools: Optional[List[dict]] = None,
callbacks: Optional[List[Any]] = None,
available_functions: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
) -> Union[str, Any]:
import requests
try:
headers = {
"Authorization": f"Bearer {self.jwt_token}",
"Content-Type": "application/json"
}
# Convert string message to proper format if needed
if isinstance(messages, str):
messages = [{"role": "user", "content": messages}]
data = {
"messages": messages,
"tools": tools
}
response = requests.post(
self.endpoint,
headers=headers,
json=data,
timeout=30
)
response.raise_for_status()
response_data = response.json()
# Check if the LLM wants to call a function
if response_data["choices"][0]["message"].get("tool_calls"):
tool_calls = response_data["choices"][0]["message"]["tool_calls"]
# Process each tool call
for tool_call in tool_calls:
function_name = tool_call["function"]["name"]
function_args = json.loads(tool_call["function"]["arguments"])
if available_functions and function_name in available_functions:
function_to_call = available_functions[function_name]
function_response = function_to_call(**function_args)
# Add the function response to the messages
messages.append({
"role": "tool",
"tool_call_id": tool_call["id"],
"name": function_name,
"content": str(function_response)
})
# Call the LLM again with the updated messages
return self.call(messages, tools, callbacks, available_functions)
# Return the text response if no function call
return response_data["choices"][0]["message"]["content"]
except requests.Timeout:
raise TimeoutError("LLM request timed out")
except requests.RequestException as e:
raise RuntimeError(f"LLM request failed: {str(e)}")
except (KeyError, IndexError, ValueError) as e:
raise ValueError(f"Invalid response format: {str(e)}")
Once you've implemented your custom LLM, you can use it with CrewAI agents and crews:
from crewai import Agent, Task, Crew
from typing import Dict, Any
# Create your custom LLM instance
jwt_llm = JWTAuthLLM(
jwt_token="your.jwt.token",
endpoint="https://your-llm-endpoint.com/v1/chat/completions"
)
# Use it with an agent
agent = Agent(
role="Research Assistant",
goal="Find information on a topic",
backstory="You are a research assistant tasked with finding information.",
llm=jwt_llm,
)
# Create a task for the agent
task = Task(
description="Research the benefits of exercise",
agent=agent,
expected_output="A summary of the benefits of exercise",
)
# Execute the task
result = agent.execute_task(task)
print(result)
# Or use it with a crew
crew = Crew(
agents=[agent],
tasks=[task],
manager_llm=jwt_llm, # Use your custom LLM for the manager
)
# Run the crew
result = crew.kickoff()
print(result)
The LLM
class allows you to implement any authentication mechanism you need, not just JWT or API keys. You can use:
- OAuth tokens
- Client certificates
- Custom headers
- Session-based authentication
- Any other authentication method required by your LLM provider
Simply implement the appropriate authentication logic in your custom LLM class.
If you were previously using BaseLLM
, you can simply replace it with LLM
:
# Old code
from crewai import BaseLLM
class CustomLLM(BaseLLM):
# ...
# New code
from crewai import LLM
class CustomLLM(LLM):
# ...
The BaseLLM
class is still available for backward compatibility but will be removed in a future release. It now inherits from LLM
and emits a deprecation warning when instantiated.