Integration modes · Updated 2026-07-21

Base URL eval mode

Use an OpenAI-compatible base URL change for low-risk evaluation traffic before installing the SDK fallback path.

Evaluation path

Base URL mode points an official provider SDK at Varsten. It is useful for low-risk evaluations, traffic checks, and demo workloads. Your Varsten vk_ key replaces the provider key in the client; the real provider key stays vaulted with Varsten.

ts
import OpenAI from "openai";

const client = new OpenAI({
  apiKey: process.env.VARSTEN_API_KEY,
  baseURL: "https://api.varsten.ai/v1",
});
python
import os
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key=os.environ["VARSTEN_API_KEY"],
    base_url="https://api.varsten.ai/v1",
)

Base URL per provider

Each official SDK appends its own version segment, so the base URL differs per provider:

  • OpenAI: https://api.varsten.ai/v1
  • Anthropic: https://api.varsten.ai with no /v1; the SDK appends /v1/messages
  • Gemini using google-genai: https://api.varsten.ai with API version v1beta

The in-app setup at app.varsten.ai generates the exact client construction for your provider and language.

Important boundary

Base URL mode does not provide direct-to-provider fallback if Varsten is unavailable. Use the production SDK path for workloads that need local provider fallback.

Good fits

  • A staging route with representative prompts.
  • A low-risk internal tool.
  • A temporary evaluation that checks attribution and pricing coverage.