> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.xpander.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Use xpander with your existing AI gateway > Keep the AI gateway you run, such as Portkey, Kong or an in-house proxy, and connect it to xpander in either direction. The LLM Gateway connects to a gateway you already run in either direction: your gateway calls xpander, or xpander calls your gateway. In both, xpander checks each call against your organization's models, budgets and policies, and records it in [Logs](https://platform.xpander.ai/governance/logs). The diagram shows the first direction. ![Diagram](https://docs.xpander.ai/images/diagrams/run-llm-gateway-existing-gateway-48b5045f.svg) | You want | Set up | | - | - | | Your apps keep calling your gateway, and some models come from xpander | [Your gateway in front of xpander](#your-gateway-in-front-of-xpander) | | Your agents and people use xpander, and some models are served by your gateway | [xpander in front of your gateway](#xpander-in-front-of-your-gateway) | ## Your gateway in front of xpander Your gateway treats xpander as one more upstream. Your apps change nothing. **1. Create an xpander API key** and keep it in your gateway's secret store. A person's key from [AI models & keys](https://chat.xpander.ai/?settings=my-gateway) records calls under that person, with their models and budgets. An organization API key records them under the key. To try the commands on this page, export it as `XPANDER_GATEWAY_KEY`, the name the **Connect a client** guide uses: ```bash theme={"dark"} export XPANDER_GATEWAY_KEY= ``` **2. Add xpander as an upstream**, one entry per model your apps should reach: | Setting | OpenAI-compatible (Chat Completions) | Anthropic (Messages) | | - | - | - | | Name your apps call | `company-gemini` | `company-claude` | | Upstream model | `gemini-2.5-flash` | `global.anthropic.claude-sonnet-5-5` | | Base URL | `https://llm-gw.xpander.ai/v1` | `https://llm-gw.xpander.ai` (no `/v1`) | | Key header | `Authorization: Bearer ` | `x-api-key: ` | If your gateway uses `Authorization` for its own sign-in, send the key as `x-xpander-api-key` instead. xpander removes it before the provider. On a self-hosted install, use `https://llm-gw.`. List the model names your key may use: ```bash theme={"dark"} curl https://llm-gw.xpander.ai/v1/models -H "Authorization: Bearer $XPANDER_GATEWAY_KEY" ``` Each call is one request in Logs, under the key's person or the key, and the organization, person, group and key budgets apply. **Claude Code** calls `/v1/messages`, so point its `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL` at your gateway only if your gateway serves that path. To connect it to xpander directly, see [Connect your tools](https://docs.xpander.ai/run/llm-gateway/connect-tools.md#claude-code). ## xpander in front of your gateway Your gateway becomes one of xpander's providers. In [Models](https://platform.xpander.ai/governance/model-access), add it as a [custom endpoint](https://docs.xpander.ai/run/llm-gateway/providers-and-keys.md#custom-endpoints): usually **OpenAI-compatible**, with a **Base URL** that includes `/v1` (such as `https://ai-gateway.example.com/v1`), and **Create a new key** with the key your gateway issued for xpander. List the models with **Test connection** or **Add model**, then save. * xpander sends your gateway only that key, never an xpander key or another provider's key. * On xpander cloud the address must be public `https`. Private, loopback, link-local, cloud metadata and cluster addresses are refused on save and on each call ([Model endpoints on xpander cloud](https://docs.xpander.ai/run/llm-gateway/providers-and-keys.md#model-endpoints-on-xpander-cloud)). On Hybrid or Air-Gapped it can be private. * Listed models are on for the organization when you save. A group with its own model list needs them ticked in **Who may use it…** ([Turn models on](https://docs.xpander.ai/run/llm-gateway/providers-and-keys.md#turn-models-on)). Otherwise callers get *This model is not enabled for you on the xpander LLM Gateway.* * Call them as `::`, such as `ai_gateway::gpt-4o-mini`. * To count spend, set a price per 1M tokens (USD) with **Edit model** under **Keys and models…**. Without one, spend reads zero and dollar budgets don't count it. These calls are not charged in xpander credits. * Claude Code can use these models too: xpander converts its Messages calls to the OpenAI-compatible format, so your gateway only needs `/v1/chat/completions`. ## Send records to your own observability [Log destinations](https://docs.xpander.ai/run/llm-gateway/logs-export.md) copies every request record to an OpenTelemetry collector or your own bucket, never with prompt or response text. ## Next steps > **[Add a custom endpoint](https://docs.xpander.ai/run/llm-gateway/providers-and-keys.md#custom-endpoints)** > > Every field of the form. > **[Send records to your observability](https://docs.xpander.ai/run/llm-gateway/logs-export.md)** > > OpenTelemetry and buckets. This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.