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Before You Start

Account Usage NoticeAccount registration is for API technical integration testing and enterprise system integration. The test credits ($0.5) provided to new accounts are only for:
  • API connectivity verification
  • Development debugging and technical testing
  • Pre-integration functionality verification
Not intended for production environments or public-facing content delivery services. Get started with LaoZhang API in just 5 minutes. This guide shows how to:
  • Access 200+ AI models through a single unified API
  • Use existing OpenAI SDK with minimal code changes
  • Integrate with flexible payment options

Step 1: Create Account and Add Credits

Create Account

1 Sign Up Visit LaoZhang API to create your accountNew accounts receive $0.5 test credits for API connectivity verification 2 Verify Email
  • Enter your email address
  • Create a secure password (8+ characters)
  • Verify your email via the confirmation link
3 Access Console Log in to your console dashboardYou’ll see:
  • Account balance with test credits
  • Usage statistics and history
  • API key management

Add Credits

  • Online Payment
  • Cryptocurrency (USDT)
  • Enterprise
  1. Navigate to billing page
  2. Select your preferred amount
  3. Complete payment
  4. Credits available instantly
We support USDT payments on multiple networks:
  • TRC20 (TRON)
  • Solana
  • Other major chains
Contact support for wallet addresses: support@laozhang.ai Enterprise Exclusive Service:
  • Volume discounts
  • Invoice support
  • Contract options
  • Dedicated support
Contact: support@laozhang.ai Credit Information:
  • Test credits for connectivity verification
  • Instant credit delivery after payment
  • Enterprise inquiries: support@laozhang.ai

Step 2: Get Your API Key

Generate Your API Key

  • Use Default Key (Quickest)
  • Create Custom Key
  1. Navigate to Token Management
  2. Locate your Default Token
  3. Click Copy to clipboard
Advantage: Pre-configured and ready to use immediately
  1. Click Create New Token button
  2. Name your key (e.g., production-api, development-test)
  3. Optionally set spending limits for budget control
  4. Click Generate
Advantage: Better organization for multiple projects or environments Security Best Practices:
  • API keys are shown only once - save securely immediately
  • Never commit keys to version control (use .gitignore)
  • Store keys in environment variables
  • Rotate keys periodically for enhanced security

Step 3: Make Your First API Call

Test Your Integration

  • Online Playground (Recommended)
  • cURL Command
Test instantly in the API Playground:
  1. Select a model (e.g., gpt-4o-mini)
  2. Enter a test prompt: “Hello, introduce yourself”
  3. Click Send
No code required - verify your setup works before integrating
# Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual key
curl -X POST https://api.yelinai.com/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "model": "gpt-4o-mini",
    "messages": [
      {"role": "system", "content": "You are a helpful AI assistant"},
      {"role": "user", "content": "What can you help me with?"}
    ]
  }'
Typical response time: < 500ms

Integration Configuration

Remember These Three Things

# API Base URL
base_url: https://api.yelinai.com/v1

# API Key (starts with sk-)
api_key: sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

# Model Name (plug and play)
model: gpt-4.1-mini  # or claude-sonnet-4-20250514, etc.

Complete Examples in Different Languages

  • Python (Most Common)
  • Node.js / TypeScript
  • Curl / Command Line
# Install: pip install openai
from openai import OpenAI

# Initialize client
client = OpenAI(
    api_key="Your API Key",  # Get from LaoZhang API
    base_url="https://api.yelinai.com/v1"  # Integration URL
)

# Examples of calling different models
def test_models():
    models = [
        "gpt-4.1-mini",  # Best value
        "claude-sonnet-4-20250514",  # Best for coding
        "deepseek-v3"  # Best Chinese model
    ]

    for model in models:
        try:
            response = client.chat.completions.create(
                model=model,
                messages=[
                    {"role": "system", "content": "You are a helpful AI assistant"},
                    {"role": "user", "content": "Introduce yourself in one sentence"}
                ],
                temperature=0.7,
                max_tokens=100
            )
            print(f"{model}: {response.choices[0].message.content}")
            print(f"Tokens used: {response.usage.total_tokens}\n")
        except Exception as e:
            print(f"{model} call failed: {e}\n")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    test_models()
Best Practice: Store API key in environment variables
import os
client = OpenAI(
    api_key=os.getenv("LAOZHANG_API_KEY"),
    base_url="https://api.yelinai.com/v1"
)
// Install: npm install openai
import OpenAI from 'openai';

// Initialize client
const client = new OpenAI({
  apiKey: process.env.LAOZHANG_API_KEY || 'Your API Key',
  baseURL: 'https://api.yelinai.com/v1'
});

// Streaming output example (real-time response)
async function streamChat() {
  const stream = await client.chat.completions.create({
    model: 'gpt-4.1-mini',
    messages: [
      { role: 'system', content: 'You are a helpful AI assistant' },
      { role: 'user', content: 'Please write a simple React component' }
    ],
    stream: true,  // Enable streaming
    temperature: 0.7
  });

  // Output word by word
  for await (const chunk of stream) {
    process.stdout.write(chunk.choices[0]?.delta?.content || '');
  }
}

// Concurrent calls to multiple models
async function compareModels(prompt) {
  const models = ['gpt-4.1', 'claude-sonnet-4-20250514', 'gemini-2.5-pro'];

  const promises = models.map(model =>
    client.chat.completions.create({
      model,
      messages: [{ role: 'user', content: prompt }],
      max_tokens: 100
    })
  );

  const results = await Promise.all(promises);
  results.forEach((result, index) => {
    console.log(`\n\`$\{models[index]}:\n\`$\{result.choices[0].message.content}`);
  });
}

// Run examples
streamChat().catch(console.error);
# Basic call
curl -X POST https://api.yelinai.com/v1/chat/completions -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"model": "gpt-4.1-mini", "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}]}'

# Streaming output (SSE)
curl -X POST https://api.yelinai.com/v1/chat/completions -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"model": "gpt-4.1", "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Write a Python quicksort"}], "stream": true}'

# Image generation
curl -X POST https://api.yelinai.com/v1/images/generations -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"model": "gpt-4o-image", "prompt": "A cute kitten", "n": 1, "size": "1024x1024"}'

Next Steps

Congratulations! You’ve successfully integrated LaoZhang API. Next you can:

View API Documentation

Learn about complete API interface documentation

Explore Model List

View all supported AI models

Integrate into Apps

Integrate LaoZhang API into various tools

View Usage Statistics

Monitor usage in console

Common Questions Quick Reference

How to tell if integration is successful? Three signs:
  1. API call returns normal results (no errors)
  2. Response time under 1 second
  3. Can see call records in console
View call records: Usage Logs How to choose the right model? Choose by scenario:Programming Development:
  • First choice: claude-sonnet-4-20250514
  • Alternative: deepseek-coder-v3
Article Writing:
  • First choice: gpt-4o
  • Alternative: claude-3.5-sonnet
Quick Response:
  • First choice: gpt-4.1-mini
  • Alternative: gemini-2.5-flash
Cost Sensitive:
  • First choice: deepseek-v3
  • Alternative: qwen-max
What if my API key is leaked? Immediate actions:
  1. Go to Token Management
  2. Revoke the compromised key immediately
  3. Generate a new API key
  4. Update the key in all your applications
Prevention measures:
  • Always use environment variables
  • Never hardcode keys in source code
  • Set spending limits per key
  • Rotate keys every 90 days
What happens when credits run out? Options available:
  1. Add credits to your account via the billing page
  2. Switch to more cost-effective models (e.g., gpt-4o-mini, gemini-flash)
  3. Optimize your usage with max_tokens limits
Cost management tips:
  • Monitor usage in the console dashboard
  • Set budget alerts
  • Use streaming for better user experience
What payment methods are supported? Payment options:
  • Credit/debit cards
  • Cryptocurrency (USDT on TRC20, Solana)
  • Wire transfer for enterprise accounts
Enterprise users: Contact support@laozhang.ai for invoicing and contract options. Tip: Save your API key properly and check usage logs in the console regularly. Every request has message history for reasonable cost optimization.