From a Direct Vendor Key to a Relay

Moving from a direct vendor key to a relay changes where your application sends requests and which credential authorizes them. It can simplify access to several model families, but it also introduces another service into your data path. The safest migration starts with one small workload, verifies the behavior you need, and keeps a working route back.

Identify the connection settings you use today

1. Find the API key, endpoint, and model setting in your current application or command-line tool. These may live in environment variables, a configuration file, or a deployment secret store. Record the setting names and where they are managed without copying secret values into your notes.

Also identify features your application depends on, such as streaming, tool calls, image inputs, or structured responses. A successful basic text request does not prove that every feature will behave the same through a relay.

Choose a relay for your actual workflow

2. Decide whether a relay solves a concrete problem for you. Relay365 is a pay-as-you-go relay desk covering many model families, including Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Kimi, GLM, Qwen, and Grok. It fits workflows that need access across those families rather than separate direct integrations for each one.

Relay365 works with Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, and OpenAI SDK clients. That makes it worth considering if those are already part of your workflow. Before moving sensitive traffic, review the relay’s available documentation on data handling, billing, supported features, and support procedures. Do not assume that your direct vendor agreement also covers the relay.

Create a separate credential for the migration

3. Obtain a relay-issued API key and store it separately from your existing vendor key. The relay credential replaces the authentication credential for requests sent to the relay; your direct vendor key is not interchangeable with it.

• Keep the relay key in an environment variable or secret store rather than in source code.
• Use separate configuration for your test environment so production traffic remains unchanged.
• Keep credentials out of screenshots, shared terminals, issue reports, and request logs.

Leave your existing direct connection available during testing. You can retire its key later if no remaining workload needs it.

Update the endpoint and model together

4. Change the endpoint and credential in your test configuration. Relay365’s API base is https://api.api365relay.com. OpenAI clients add /v1, giving https://api.api365relay.com/v1. Check whether your client expects the base address or already appends a path so you do not duplicate it.

Next, select a model available through the relay and copy its exact API identifier from the relay’s model listing or documentation. For example, you might test Gemini 2.5 Flash if it suits your workload. Do not assume that a display name is the request identifier or that your old vendor-specific identifier carries over unchanged.

Test one request before testing advanced features

5. Send a short, non-sensitive prompt with a small output limit. Confirm that authentication succeeds and that your application can read the response. Then test your actual dependencies individually, including streaming or tool calls where relevant.

If a request fails, check the endpoint, credential, model identifier, and request format before changing several settings at once. Capture the error message and any available request identifier, but redact secrets. This keeps troubleshooting focused and makes support conversations easier.

Compare behavior and move traffic gradually

6. Run a small set of representative tasks through the new connection. Compare answer usefulness, response handling, elapsed time, and recorded charges. Keep prompts and output limits consistent where possible, and avoid treating one successful request as proof of production readiness.

Move a limited workload first, watch its errors and spending, and expand only after the results meet your needs. Preserve the previous configuration so rollback means restoring known settings rather than reconstructing them under pressure.

Finish the migration without losing control

7. Once the relay connection is stable, update deployment secrets and internal setup notes. Remove unused credentials only after confirming that scheduled jobs and other applications no longer depend on them.

If Relay365 matches your tooling and model needs, create an account and start with a small test workload. Its members can also earn a referral bounty when invited people pay, but evaluate the migration on compatibility, data handling, and cost first.