FAQ
Clodex helps you understand whether an AI API relay truly passes through Claude / OpenAI / Gemini, and what risks exist around keys, usage, and protocols. Total questions: 19
Relay Basics
What an AI API relay is, why people use it, and where the risks are.
What is an AI API relay? #
It is an intermediate API service that receives your request and forwards it to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or another provider. A good relay behaves like a transparent proxy; a bad one may change the model, response fields, or usage.
Why use a relay? #
Common reasons are unified APIs, pricing, availability, or corporate routing. But the relay becomes a trusted middle layer, so it should be checked.
How is a relay different from an official API? #
Official APIs have stable fields, errors, and billing. Relays may be 1:1 passthrough, or they may rewrap responses, hide usage, disable capabilities, or swap backends.
What are the risks? #
The main risks are downtime, model substitution, incorrect billing, prompt logging, and missing capabilities such as tools, PDF, or structured output.
Model Authenticity
How Clodex looks for Claude, GPT, and Gemini substitution.
How do I know the model is real? #
Clodex looks at protocol shape, capability probes, and usage fingerprints. For Claude, it also uses thinking signature, the strongest signal.
How do relays fake models? #
For example, a relay may sell GPT while forwarding to Claude, sell Claude through a Bedrock-like layer without thinking signatures, or disable advanced features and return plain text only.
Can I just ask the model who it is? #
No. Identity answers are easy to spoof with a system prompt. Protocol fields, signatures, tool calls, and usage are more reliable.
Claude Relay
Claude can be checked more deeply because of thinking signature.
What is thinking signature? #
It is an Anthropic server-side signature in a thinking response. A relay theoretically cannot generate it by itself, so missing or malformed signatures are a strong warning sign.
What does the Claude detector check? #
Thinking signature, identity, behavior, knowledge, PDF, tool use, structured output, protocol, streaming consistency, message IDs, usage, and optional long context.
Does the check spend tokens? #
Yes. Clodex sends real requests to your relay. Cost is charged by your provider or relay, not by Clodex.
OpenAI / GPT Relay
OpenAI is checked through behavior, protocol, and fingerprints.
Can Clodex cryptographically prove a GPT model? #
No. OpenAI responses do not include a Claude-like thinking signature. Clodex checks protocol compliance, capability support, and suspicious usage fields.
How can GPT -> Claude substitution be detected? #
Anthropic-style fields can leak into OpenAI-shaped responses: input_tokens/output_tokens, usage_source, claude_cache_*, and other adapter traces.
Why are there 0 GPT models? #
The key may be enabled only for a Claude or Gemini group. Preflight shows whether another protocol has models and suggests the right page.
Gemini Relay
Gemini is checked through the OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
Why use the OpenAI-compatible path? #
Most Gemini relays expose /chat/completions compatibility. It lets Clodex check function calling, JSON schema, streaming, and usage consistently.
Why does model_not_found happen often? #
A relay may support only some models, use a different name, or remove a preview model. Preflight helps show available alternatives.
Can I check official Google Gemini? #
Yes. Use base_url
https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai and an AIza... key from Google AI Studio.Privacy And Security
What happens to API keys and reports.
Does Clodex store my API key? #
No. The key is used during the job and is not written to report JSON, logs, or a database. Reports keep only a masked key.
Who can see /r/xxx reports? #
Anyone with the link. Do not share the URL if you are checking a private relay and do not want the result public.
Can I self-host it? #
Yes. The project is open source, so you can run it yourself and keep API keys inside your own network.