Yes—you can send the same Chat Completions message to three different models from Node.js using one API key, provided that key belongs to a gateway that offers access to all three. The key authenticates your requests with the gateway; each model value tells it which backend model to use.
What one API key does—and what it does not do
A compatible gateway gives your app a shared API endpoint for models from multiple upstream providers. You configure your client with the gateway’s base URL and API key, then select a model by its identifier in each request. The key is for the gateway account; it should not be confused with an upstream provider’s separate API key.
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OpenRouter documents an OpenAI-compatible endpoint and access to models across providers, with automatic fallback and routing options. Its catalog page reported “500+ models across 80+ providers” when accessed on October 7, 2026; that is a vendor-reported, changeable catalog count, not an independent count. See OpenRouter’s documentation and catalog for current access and model details.
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Set up the Node.js client
Install the official OpenAI JavaScript/TypeScript SDK with npm install openai. When using a gateway, configure the SDK with that gateway’s documented base URL and a key issued by that gateway. OpenAI’s own SDK setup uses an OpenAI API key; that does not mean an OpenAI key authenticates requests to a third-party gateway. The SDK README documents the client and Chat Completions request pattern: OpenAI Node.js SDK.
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For an OpenRouter example, set the environment variable in your shell before running the program. Keep the key out of source code and version control.
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY="your-gateway-key"Send the same messages to three models
This example makes three sequential Chat Completions requests with the same messages array. The model strings are intentionally illustrative, not live model IDs. Replace them with exact identifiers currently listed by your gateway account and available to your region.
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import OpenAI from "openai";
const apiKey = process.env.OPENROUTER_API_KEY;
if (!apiKey) {
throw new Error("Set OPENROUTER_API_KEY before running this script.");
}
const client = new OpenAI({
apiKey,
baseURL: "https://openrouter.ai/api/v1",
});
const messages = [
{
role: "user",
content: "Explain what an API gateway does in one sentence.",
},
];
const models = [
"provider/model-one",
"provider/model-two",
"provider/model-three",
];
for (const model of models) {
try {
const completion = await client.chat.completions.create({
model,
messages,
});
console.log(model, completion.choices[0]?.message?.content);
} catch (error) {
console.error(`Request failed for ${model}:`, error);
}
}The OpenRouter quickstart documents this OpenAI-client calling pattern and gateway endpoint. In the usual case, switching the target means changing the model identifier while leaving the surrounding request shape intact. Check the quickstart and current catalog for identifiers and any model-specific routing configuration: OpenRouter quickstart.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose model IDs and compare the right things
Do not treat the sample identifiers as selectable models. Before running the script, check each exact ID in the gateway’s live catalog and confirm access, pricing, and any routing requirements. A useful comparison should be based on your task rather than a generic ranking:
- Task quality: test whether each model handles your actual prompts and required output format.
- Latency: measure response time under your own workload; the gateway may route requests to different providers.
- Cost: compare current input and output prices for the exact model and billing arrangement.
- Context and modalities: confirm the model accepts the input length and content types your application sends.
- Parameters and tools: verify support for options such as tool calling or structured output. Compatibility does not imply that every model supports every parameter.
- Availability and routing: check geographic eligibility, provider choices, and fallback behavior for the gateway account.
OpenAI’s API reference explicitly notes that parameter support varies by model. That matters even when several models accept the same basic model and messages fields: optional features and response behavior may differ. Consult the Chat Completions API reference and the gateway’s current model details before depending on a parameter across multiple backends.
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Why this guide uses Chat Completions
This pattern is specifically for a gateway and models exposing an OpenAI-style Chat Completions interface. OpenAI’s SDK documentation identifies the Responses API as its primary API for interacting with OpenAI models, while describing Chat Completions as the previous standard that remains supported indefinitely. OpenAI recommends considering Responses for new projects centered on OpenAI models; this guide uses Chat Completions because the task is to make compatible requests through a shared gateway interface. These APIs and model backends are not interchangeable in every capability or option. See the SDK documentation for the current SDK guidance.
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Quick Recap
Common failures and fixes
- Missing-key error: confirm that
OPENROUTER_API_KEYis set in the environment running Node.js, and that the key belongs to the configured gateway. - Authentication failure: check that the key is valid for the gateway and that the client uses the gateway’s base URL, not an unrelated provider endpoint.
- Unknown or unavailable model: copy the exact model identifier from the current gateway catalog and confirm that your account and region can use it.
- Unsupported parameter or feature: remove the optional setting or choose a model that documents support; interface compatibility alone does not ensure feature parity.
- One request fails in the loop: inspect the gateway’s returned error, availability, limits, and routing settings for that specific model. Catching errors per request lets the remaining iterations proceed.
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