Quick Start: Install and Connect an AI Tool

Prerequisites

You need:

1. A desktop build of Relay Switch or a local development environment.
2. At least one upstream provider or relay service.
3. A tool that supports custom API endpoints.

Step 1: Start Relay Switch

After launching the desktop app, Relay Switch starts a local API gateway.

The default local endpoint is usually:

http://127.0.0.1:3456/v1

If the default port is occupied, the app may use another local port. Always use the connected api base shown in the app.

Step 2: Add a provider

Open the Providers page and fill in:

1. Name
2. Base URL
3. API Key

For OpenAI-compatible relay services, the Base URL usually ends with /v1.

Step 3: Activate the provider

If you have more than one provider configured, click Enable on the provider you want to use.

Only the active provider receives forwarded traffic.

Step 4: Configure your tool

Most OpenAI-compatible tools can use:

Base URL: http://127.0.0.1:3456/v1
API Key: dummy

The local key can usually be any non-empty string because the real upstream credential is stored and applied by Relay Switch.

Step 5: Send a test request

After your tool is connected:

1. Send a normal request.
2. Open the Logs page in Relay Switch.
3. Verify the request appears there.

If the request fails, start with the provider health check and then inspect the request log details.