Guides

Setup and usage walkthroughs for every provider and every common tool.

GPT-6.1 vs Claude 5.5 vs Gemini 4
A practical comparison of the three frontier families: where each is strong, what they cost, and how to choose.
Cheapest frontier models per 1M tokens
What a million tokens actually costs across the current frontier, and how to read pricing tables without fooling yourself.
API keys in Cursor, Cline and Continue
How to point Cursor, Cline, Continue and other AI coding tools at a custom API key and base URL.
Rotating API keys
How and when to rotate keys, scheduled rotation, emergency rotation after a leak, and doing it without downtime.
Rate limits explained
RPM, TPM, RPD and quota: what the limits on an API key actually mean and how to design around them.
Check whether an API key works with curl
The cheapest way to validate an API key for every provider: the free endpoints that don't burn a single token.
Environment variables for API keys
The right way to store API keys: env vars, .env files, and the mistakes that leak credentials.
OpenAI-compatible base URLs cheat sheet
Every provider's OpenAI-compatible base URL in one place, the table you keep open while configuring tools.
Groq API key setup
Groq keys start with gsk_. Base URL, curl check, and why Groq is the speed benchmark people test against.
Mistral API key setup
Mistral keys are 32-character alphanumeric strings with no prefix. Setup, curl check, and the La Plateforme console.
Qwen / DashScope API key setup
Alibaba Model Studio keys start with sk-. Which base URL to use, workspace-scoped keys, and the OpenAI-compatible path.
Kimi (Moonshot AI) API key setup
Moonshot keys start with sk-. International vs China endpoints, the Kimi Code sk-kimi- keys, and SDK setup.
MiniMax API key setup
MiniMax keys are JWTs starting with eyJ, and subscription keys start with sk-cp-. How to tell them apart and use them.
GLM (Z.ai) API key setup
Z.ai keys are 32 hex characters, a dot, then 16 alphanumeric characters. Here's how to use one against the GLM endpoints.
DeepSeek API key setup
DeepSeek keys are sk- plus 32 hex characters. Here's the base URL, the curl check, and SDK usage.
xAI Grok API key setup
Use an xai- key with the xAI API, OpenAI-compatible base URL, curl check, and SDK setup.
Gemini API key in Google AI Studio
Where AI Studio keys come from, the AIza format, and how to call the Gemini API with curl or the OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
Anthropic Claude API key quickstart
Use an sk-ant-api03- key with curl and the Anthropic SDK, and the differences from the OpenAI API that trip people up.
OpenAI API key setup for Python and Node
Set an OpenAI API key as an environment variable and make your first call with the official Python and Node SDKs.
How to use an OpenRouter API key
Get an OpenRouter key working with the OpenAI SDK, plain curl, or any OpenAI-compatible client in about two minutes.