Platform Introduction
One endpoint, one credential, multiple model ecosystems. RouteAPI keeps the application-side integration consistent while the service paths behind it can evolve.
What is RouteAPI?
Section titled “What is RouteAPI?”RouteAPI is an AI API gateway for developers and production teams. It brings global and Chinese AI models—including OpenAI, Claude, and Gemini—under one account, one set of API keys, and a unified interface, so applications do not need to maintain separate provider endpoints, credentials, and billing flows.
You can keep familiar SDKs and request formats and switch only the Base URL and API key. RouteAPI handles authentication, protocol adaptation, service-path selection, failure protection, usage metering, and billing, then returns the result in the format expected by your client.
Why use RouteAPI?
Section titled “Why use RouteAPI?”- Integrate once, reuse across models. Call global and Chinese AI models through one stable endpoint, with a consistent authentication method and model IDs instead of separate clients, accounts, and billing logic for every provider.
- Reduce the impact of provider failures. RouteAPI selects an available path based on the requested model, system routing configuration, and service health. When an upstream service returns a temporary error, timeout, or rate limit, the platform can continue the request when it is safe and a suitable path exists.
- See usage, performance, and cost. The console brings together request volume, token usage, balance, and usage trends. Request logs show the model, status, latency, cost, and error details needed for troubleshooting, auditing, and cost analysis.
Core capabilities
Section titled “Core capabilities”How does a request flow?
Section titled “How does a request flow?”- Send. Your application submits a RouteAPI key, model ID, and request parameters.
- Validate. RouteAPI checks identity, account access, balance, and usage limits.
- Match. The platform detects the protocol and capability requirements, then matches the selected model to an available service path according to system configuration.
- Adapt and protect. The request is converted to the upstream format, with safe retry or failover when needed.
- Return and record. RouteAPI converts the response to the client format and records usage, latency, status, and billing data.
Who is RouteAPI for?
Section titled “Who is RouteAPI for?”| Team | What RouteAPI provides |
|---|---|
| Platform and infrastructure teams | Centralized model access, credentials, routing, and upstream service changes. |
| AI application teams | Familiar SDKs and protocols with stable model IDs for chat, agents, RAG, and multimodal applications. |
| Operations and finance teams | A unified view of usage, latency, failures, and spend with less multi-provider reconciliation. |
| Independent developers | Fast access to different models with one account and API key, billed by actual usage. |
Protocols and integrations
Section titled “Protocols and integrations”RouteAPI provides three main protocol entry points. Prefer the protocol natively supported by your client. Exact parameters and capabilities can vary by model and upstream service.
| Protocol | Typical endpoints | Common clients |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI-compatible | /v1/chat/completions, /v1/responses, /v1/embeddings | OpenAI SDKs, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode, LangChain, LiteLLM |
| Claude Messages | /v1/messages | Claude Code, Anthropic SDKs |
| Google Gemini | /v1beta/models/{model}:generateContent | Google GenAI SDK, Gemini REST clients |
Start here
Section titled “Start here”For a first integration, complete the Quick Start, then read Routing Overview and Usage and Billing. Before production, test optional features such as streaming, tool calling, and multimodal input with the exact request format and model you plan to use.