Make your first API request

Create a FunkyRouter inference key and send one OpenAI-compatible chat completion request.

This quickstart takes you from a FunkyRouter account to one authenticated API response. It covers only client API access.

Before you begin

You need:

A FunkyRouter account with an active workspace.
Workspace permission to manage API keys. If the key controls are unavailable, ask a workspace administrator.
curl in your terminal.

FunkyRouter is in private beta. A valid key does not guarantee that a model is actively serving at every moment.

1. Create an inference key

Sign in to FunkyRouter.
Open API keys.
In Inference key, enter a descriptive name such as Local development.
Select Create inference key.
Copy the full key immediately. FunkyRouter shows it only once.

Use an inference key for model requests. A management key cannot invoke models.

2. Store the key for this terminal session

Paste the key into an environment variable:

export FUNKYROUTER_API_KEY="paste-your-inference-key-here"

Do not commit the key to source control or place it in client-side browser code. For a deployed application, store it in your platform's secrets manager.

3. Choose an available model

Open Models, copy an actively serving model ID, and store it for the request:

export FUNKYROUTER_MODEL="your-model-id"

Model availability is the source of truth. Do not assume that an ID from an older example is still serving.

4. Call the chat completions API

Send an OpenAI-compatible request with the key as a bearer token:

curl --fail-with-body https://api.funkyrouter.ai/v1/chat/completions \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer ${FUNKYROUTER_API_KEY}" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data "{
    \"model\": \"${FUNKYROUTER_MODEL}\",
    \"messages\": [
      { \"role\": \"user\", \"content\": \"Why is Texas a good place to build?\" }
    ]
  }"

A successful response has an HTTP 200 status and a choices array containing the assistant message. Request IDs, token counts, timing, status, and billing metadata may be retained for service operation; review the privacy notice for the current policy.

If the request fails

What you see	What to check
Authentication error	Confirm the `Authorization` header starts with `Bearer` and the key has not been revoked.
Permission error	Confirm you created an inference key, not a management key.
Model error	Copy the current ID from Models and retry.
Service unavailable	The private-beta pool may not have an actively serving model. Check service status before retrying.

When you finish testing, remove the key from the shell session:

unset FUNKYROUTER_API_KEY FUNKYROUTER_MODEL