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5 AI API Tips Every Developer Should Know in 2026

#webdev #beginners #ai #productivity

1. Use an API Gateway Instead of Direct Keys

Stop juggling multiple API keys. An API gateway like Crazyrouter gives you one key for 600+ models — GPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, all through OpenAI-compatible format.

# One key, any model
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-your-gateway-key"
export OPENAI_BASE_URL="https://crazyrouter.com/v1"
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2. Match Model to Task Complexity

Don't use GPT-4o for everything. Use cheap models for simple tasks:

Task Model Cost/1M tokens
Tab completion gpt-4o-mini $0.15
Daily coding deepseek-chat $0.14
Complex review claude-sonnet-4 $3.00

This alone can cut your AI bill by 90%.

3. Set Environment Variables Once

Most AI tools (Cursor, Cline, Aider, Continue) auto-detect OPENAI_API_KEY and OPENAI_BASE_URL. Set them in your shell profile and forget about per-tool configuration.

4. Stream Responses for Better UX 

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(base_url="https://crazyrouter.com/v1")

stream = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="deepseek-chat",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Explain async/await"}],
    stream=True
)

for chunk in stream:
    if chunk.choices[0].delta.content:
        print(chunk.choices[0].delta.content, end="")
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5. Self-Host Your AI Gateway

For teams, self-hosting gives you full control. OpenClaw + Crazyrouter = private AI gateway in one command:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xujfcn/crazyrouter-openclaw/main/install.sh | bash
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Connect it to Telegram, Discord, or Slack for team-wide AI access.

What AI API tips do you use? Drop them in the comments 👇

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