Zukko Blog
Guides to Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and the Claude and GPT APIs: setup, token savings and troubleshooting.
Neural network API key: what it is, where to get it and how not to lose money
5 min · · API keys
A key is a password to your balance, not to a chat. Where keys come from, how to test one, and how limits protect your money.
Grok API key: getting an xAI key and calling Grok 4.7 through a gateway
5 min · · API keys
Two routes to Grok: an xAI console key, or a gateway key paid by SBP, MasterCard or crypto. Steps, a request example and what it costs.
How to register at DeepSeek from Russia and get API access
5 min · · payments
Registering on the DeepSeek platform and getting API access from Russia: the steps, where people usually get stuck and how to reach DeepSeek models through a gateway with SBP payment.
Claude API: what it is and how it differs from the claude.ai chat
5 min · · API keys
The Claude API gives your code access to the models and is billed per token. The Messages API, caching and tools explained, with a first request.
Claude Opus in Russia: how to use Opus 5.5 in chat and via API
5 min · · models
Three working ways to use Claude Opus 5.5 from Russia: web chat, an API request and Claude Code. With code and a cost estimate at October 18, 2026 prices.
OpenAI API key for free: what is true and what is a trap
5 min · · API keys
A permanently free key does not exist: the API is paid per token. Why keys found online are dangerous, and how many requests a one-dollar balance buys.
Anthropic API key for free: what really exists and what it costs
5 min · · API keys
There is no permanent free Anthropic key, and trial terms change. How a key is created, where the catch is, and what a Claude test costs.
OpenAI API: what it is, which endpoints exist and why the format became a standard
4 min · · API keys
An API lets your code call a model instead of a person typing in a chat. A look at requests, responses and why the OpenAI format is used far beyond the company itself.
OpenAI SDK: what it is and why it works with more than GPT models
5 min · · development
The OpenAI SDK is an ordinary wrapper around an HTTP API. That is why you can point it at another address and use Claude, Gemini or DeepSeek without changing your code. Here is how, and where the limits are.
OpenAI API key example: using a key in curl, Python and Node.js
5 min · · API keys
Ready examples of passing an API key in a header, environment variables and an SDK, the typical format mistakes, and a key check with a /v1/balance request.
Gemini API for free: what the free tier gives and its limits
6 min · · API keys
The Gemini API free tier explained from Google's documentation: limits, regions, data terms and the point where paying per token is simpler.
Qwen API key: how to get one from Alibaba Cloud or via a gateway
5 min · · API keys
Two ways to a Qwen key: the official one in Model Studio and a single gateway key. Steps, addresses, model ids and a sample request.
OpenAI Batch API: what it is, when it pays off and what to use via a gateway
5 min · · экономия
A batch API trades instant answers for a discount. We explain how it works at OpenAI and Anthropic, which tasks it suits, and what to use instead when you work through a gateway.
Gemini API key: how to get one and what to do if it does not work
6 min · · API keys
Two ways to a Gemini API key: a Google AI Studio key and a Zukko gateway key. Steps, request examples, safe storage and common problems.
GLM API key: how to get a key for GLM 5.3 and which URL to use
5 min · · API keys
A GLM key can come from the Z.ai platform or from a gateway. We show both routes, the correct addresses, model ids and a cost comparison on an example.
OpenAI API key: what it is and how it differs from ChatGPT
5 min · · API keys
An API key is a secret string that tells the service who is calling and whose balance to charge for tokens. Here is how it differs from a ChatGPT account.
AI models without a VPN: using Claude, GPT and Gemini from Russia
5 min · · payments
Why official services demand a foreign network and payment, and which options work without that: a browser chat and an API. Checking access takes five minutes.
API key in Docker: passing it safely without baking it into the image
5 min · · development
A key in a Dockerfile stays in the image layers forever. We cover env_file, Compose secrets, build-time secrets, .dockerignore and image checks — with examples for a Zukko key.
How to Debug Requests to an LLM API: From curl to Error Codes
5 min · · development
Most often the problem is the request, not the model: the URL, key, limit or body size. A step-by-step debugging routine and a table of Zukko error codes with fixes.
/v1/responses or /v1/chat/completions: Which API to Use
4 min · · API keys
Two OpenAI-compatible endpoints with different request and response shapes. On Zukko, Chat Completions works with every model, Responses with Claude and GPT.
Browser Chat or API: Choosing the Right Tool for Your Task
5 min · · API keys
Browser chat suits hands-on work, the API suits automation. Per-token prices are the same; the differences are control, history, and how a conversation's cost grows.
How to list available models via the API and survive model changes
3 min · · models
The model catalog changes: new models arrive, old ones are switched off. How to fetch the current list and write code that survives a model change.
How to connect an AI model to your app: key, SDK, streaming, errors
6 min · · development
A step-by-step guide for developers: where to keep the key, how to call a model from Python and Node.js, how to stream answers correctly, which errors to handle, and how to track the cost of each request.
OpenAI API proxy: how to choose an API gateway and what to ask
7 min · · API keys
How an API gateway differs from a network proxy, the criteria for choosing one, questions to ask before your first payment, and how to check yourself that charges match the math.