My pre-agent checklist: standardizing the LLM API layer

I kept switching API providers while prototyping small AI tools. The agent prompt was rarely the hardest part—the integration layer was.

Before connecting Codex, Claude, Hermes, OpenClaw, or another agent runtime, I now use this checklist:

1. Check the live model list and account terms.
2. Create a key and keep it out of public posts and repositories.
3. Send one minimal request.
4. Confirm the model ID and response format.
5. Connect the agent only after the smoke test passes.
6. Keep provider-specific settings separate from agent logic.

I use APIGOTO as a unified LLM API gateway for this workflow. It gives me one developer entry point for API access, model configuration, quota, usage, and call records. That separation makes it easier to tell whether a failure is in the agent, the API integration, or operations.

A current campaign may mention “200 models with free tokens”. I treat that as something to verify on the live product/account page—not as an unlimited or permanent promise. Availability, limits, validity, rate limits, concurrency, and verification requirements can vary by account.

If you are building an AI prototype, you can check the current setup at https://www.apigoto.com/.

Personal developer workflow notes; no official affiliation with the agent projects mentioned above.