Want to talk to a large language model through 123API but don’t want to read a 40-page manual first? This quickstart gets you from zero to a working chat request in about five minutes. 123API is an AI API aggregator: one key, one OpenAI-compatible endpoint, and access to 100+ models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, DeepSeek, and more.
What you need #
- A free 123API account.
- An API key from the dashboard.
- Any HTTP client (curl, Python
requests, or Node.jsfetch).
Step 1 — Create your API key #
Open the dashboard, go to API Keys, and click Create Key. Copy it somewhere safe and store it as an environment variable rather than hard-coding it:
Step 2 — Send your first request #
123API speaks the OpenAI Chat Completions format, so existing OpenAI code works with a single base_url change:
That is the entire integration. For language-specific snippets, see the API Reference.
Step 3 — Try it without code #
Prefer clicking to coding? Open the Playground and send a message to any model in the model catalog with zero setup.
Next steps #
- Browse the model catalog to pick the right model for your task.
- Read the cost optimization guide before going to production.
- Explore official SDKs for Python and Node.js.
FAQ
Do I need to install an SDK? No. The endpoint is plain HTTP and OpenAI-compatible. Can I use my existing OpenAI code? Yes — point base_url at https://api.123api.ai/v1.
Suggested internal links (positions)
- After “language-specific snippets” in Step 2 → API Reference (anchor: “API Reference”).
- In Step 3 → model catalog (anchor: “model catalog”).
- Under “Next steps” → cost optimization guide (anchor: “cost optimization guide”).
- Under “Next steps” → official SDKs (anchor: “official SDKs”).
