> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://phaseo.app/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How Phaseo Works

> Understand the Phaseo Gateway before you choose endpoints, SDKs, routing, or production settings.

Use this explanation when you want the mental model before you build against the Gateway.

Phaseo gives you one API for models, providers, routing, pricing, and async AI workflows.

That means you can:

* call multiple providers through one consistent API
* keep request and response handling simpler
* track usage, latency, and price in one place
* change models or routing strategy without rebuilding your app

<Note>
  You can get started on `:free` models with zero deposited credits. Paid models require available wallet balance.
</Note>

***

## Why use a gateway

AI integrations become harder as soon as you need more than one provider, model, endpoint family, or deployment environment.

Phaseo gives your app one stable integration layer. You can ship the product flow first, then adjust models, providers, routing, and pricing strategy without rewriting every caller.

***

## Core concepts

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Unified endpoints" icon="terminal" href="../api-reference/introduction">
    Use one API shape across text, image, moderation, audio, video, and provider-compatible routes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Routing controls" icon="git-branch" href="../guides/routing-and-fallbacks">
    Choose how requests move across providers for availability, cost, latency, region, and policy.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Usage and cost tracking" icon="chart-column-increasing">
    Track request volume, token usage, latency, and price so production behavior is visible.
  </Card>

  <Card title="BYOK (Bring Your Own Key)" icon="key">
    Connect provider keys when you want provider billing and limits while keeping the same Gateway interface.
  </Card>
</Columns>

***

## Recommended path

1. **[Sign up](https://phaseo.app/sign-up)** for a Phaseo account.
2. **[Generate an API key](https://phaseo.app/gateway/keys)** in your dashboard.
3. **Make your first request** with the `/v1/responses` endpoint.
4. **Choose your production path** for SDKs, routing, observability, and rollout.

<Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/v1/quickstart" horizontal>
  Make your first successful API call with a free model.
</Card>

***

## Next steps

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Authentication" icon="lock" href="./authentication">
    Learn how to authenticate securely using your personal or team API key.
  </Card>

  <Card title="API Reference" icon="code" href="../api-reference/introduction">
    Browse the complete API documentation with endpoints, parameters, and
    response schemas.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Best Practices" icon="shield-check" href="./best-practices">
    Guidance on how to get the most out of the Phaseo Gateway.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Examples" icon="terminal" href="../guides/examples">
    Copy ready-to-run snippets for Next.js, Node.js streaming, Python, and
    curl.
  </Card>
</Columns>

***

Need a build-focused walkthrough? Continue with [Integrating with the Gateway](./integrating-with-the-gateway), then explore [Integrations](../guides/integrations/index) or [Rate limits](./rate-limits) as you scale.