NextChat custom API Base URL setup: API key and model

Before you start

You need a RutaAPI account, a prepaid credit pack, and an API key. Make sure your account has credits before making requests — requests without sufficient credits will return a 401 or 403 error.

How to start with RutaAPI

curl https://api.rutaapi.com/v1/models \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_RUTAAPI_KEY"

OPENAI_API_KEY=YOUR_RUTAAPI_KEY
BASE_URL=https://api.rutaapi.com/v1

curl https://api.rutaapi.com/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_RUTAAPI_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "YOUR_ENABLED_MODEL_ID",
    "messages": [
      {"role": "user", "content": "Hello from RutaAPI"}
    ]
  }'

Who this guide is for

This guide is for NextChat / ChatGPT Next Web users who want to connect their self-hosted chat interface to an OpenAI-compatible API gateway provided by RutaAPI.

It helps if you are familiar with environment variables, .env files, Docker or Vercel deployments.

Who should not use this setup

• Users whose NextChat version or fork does not support custom BASE_URL.
• Users whose hosting platform does not support custom environment variables.
• Users who require official OpenAI-only features.

Testing before you start chatting

Before using NextChat, send a simple request from the terminal to confirm your key, Base URL and model name all work together. This rules out configuration issues before you start a real session.

If the first request succeeds, the NextChat configuration should also work. If it fails, fix the terminal request first — that gives you clearer error messages than the NextChat UI.

How to pick a model name

Model names are returned by the GET /v1/models endpoint. Copy one of the model id values from the response and use it as the model name in your NextChat settings.

Model availability is per-account. If a model name is not in your /v1/models response, it is not active in your account — add more credits or contact support.

Common mistakes

• Using https://rutaapi.com as BASE_URL — that is the marketing site, not the API root.
• Using https://app.rutaapi.com as BASE_URL — that is for account management, not the API.
• Using https://api.rutaapi.com without /v1 when the deployment expects an OpenAI-compatible /v1 endpoint.
• Pasting https://api.rutaapi.com/v1/chat/completions as BASE_URL — that is an endpoint, not the root.
• Setting a RutaAPI key but keeping another provider's BASE_URL.
• Setting BASE_URL correctly but using an API key from another platform.
• Guessing model names instead of using /v1/models.
• Forgetting to redeploy or restart the NextChat service after changing environment variables.
• Exposing API keys in screenshots or public repositories.

Common errors

401 Unauthorized / invalid API key

The API key is missing, incorrect, or sent to the wrong Base URL. Verify OPENAI_API_KEY and BASE_URL both come from RutaAPI. Run /v1/models to confirm the key is valid.

403 Forbidden

The key exists but lacks permission. Check credits and model access in your RutaAPI account.

404 Model not found

The model name is not in your account. Run GET /v1/models and copy a returned model id.

429 Too Many Requests

Rate or concurrency limit. Lower the number of concurrent requests and retry.

503 Service Unavailable

The provider route is temporarily unavailable. Try a short request, check model availability, contact support if persistent.

When RutaAPI may be a good fit

• You need an OpenAI-compatible Base URL for NextChat
• You want dashboard-generated API keys
• You want prepaid credits
• You want to verify available models with /v1/models
• You need docs for NextChat, Cursor, Cline, Continue.dev, Codex CLI and Claude Code
• You want usage visibility before scaling

When RutaAPI may not be the right fit

• Your NextChat deployment does not support custom BASE_URL
• Your hosting platform did not apply the environment variables
• The selected model is unavailable upstream
• Your API key belongs to another provider
• You require official OpenAI-only features

Related setup and troubleshooting guides

• API Key and Base URL explained
• Unified Base URL for AI coding tools
• Cursor custom API setup guide
• Cline OpenAI-compatible API setup
• Continue.dev OpenAI-compatible API setup
• Codex CLI setup with RutaAPI
• Claude Code setup with RutaAPI
• Codex CLI invalid_api_key troubleshooting
• Claude Code timeout troubleshooting
• Available models
• Pricing and credit packs