I stopped hardcoding model IDs. models.dev + /v1/models changed the workflow

Disclosure and availability: DaoXE is a multi-model multi-protocol API gateway we operate. It is listed on models.dev as provider key daoxe with api=https://daoxe.com/v1 and env DAOXE_API_KEY. It is not available in mainland China. This article is for developers in regions allowed by the service terms.

For a long time my gateway setup notes looked like this:

base_url = https://something/v1
model    = gpt-4o-mini   # hope this still exists

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That pattern fails in three predictable ways:

1. The blog model ID is not in your account catalog.
2. The host is correct, but the provider key your client expects is different.
3. The catalog moved and your README did not.

This post is the discovery workflow I use now: public catalog first, account catalog second, client third.

Series context

Earlier posts covered smoke tests, multiprotocol checks, client setup, and IDE failure isolation:

1. The 3-step smoke test I use for any OpenAI-compatible API
2. One gateway, three protocols
3. How I configure Cline, Continue, and similar tools
4. My curl smoke test passed. Why does Cline / Continue still fail?
5. Claude protocol without the OpenAI-only mental model

This one is about where model IDs come from before you paste them into an IDE.

1. Public catalog: models.dev

models.dev is a public provider/model catalog many coding tools read.

When a gateway lands there, clients that support custom / catalog-driven providers can resolve:

Field Why it matters provider key stable id for configs (daoxe, not a marketing name) api base host + /v1 shape env var which secret name tools expect

For DaoXE the live catalog entry is effectively:

key: daoxe
api: https://daoxe.com/v1
env: DAOXE_API_KEY

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That is public discovery, not proof your account can call every model.

2. Account catalog: GET /v1/models

Public catalogs and account catalogs are different objects.

export DAOXE_API_KEY="your_api_key"
export DAOXE_BASE_URL="https://daoxe.com/v1"

curl --fail-with-body --show-error --silent 
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DAOXE_API_KEY" 
  "$DAOXE_BASE_URL/models"

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I treat the response as live data for this account only:

• copy an exact id
• do not invent IDs from screenshots
• do not assume yesterday’s list is still valid

If /models returns 401, stop blaming the IDE. Fix auth first.

3. One tiny Chat Completions smoke with that exact ID

export DAOXE_MODEL="paste_exact_id_from_models_response"

curl --fail-with-body --show-error --silent 
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DAOXE_API_KEY" 
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" 
  -d "{
    "model": "$DAOXE_MODEL",
    "max_tokens": 8,
    "messages": [{"role":"user","content":"Reply with OK."}]
  }" 
  "$DAOXE_BASE_URL/chat/completions"

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Only after this returns HTTP 200 do I open Cline / Continue / Claude-shaped tools.

4. Wire the client to the same triple

The only triple that should move between tools:

Piece Example for DaoXE Base URL https://daoxe.com/v1 API key storage env / secret store (DAOXE_API_KEY or the client’s custom key field) Model ID exact id from /v1/models now

Public setup notes:

• CLIENT_SETUP.md
• DaoXE-AI examples

Footguns this workflow prevents

Footgun Symptom Fix Blog model ID model_not_found re-copy from /v1/models Marketing name as API id client 400 use catalog id, not label Public catalog only “listed but my key fails” public catalog ≠ account access Account catalog only “works for me, not for teammate” each account has its own list Skipping smoke IDE red noise curl first

What success looks like

Success is not “every model on models.dev works for every key.”

Success is:

1. you can find the gateway in a public catalog or docs
2. you can list models for your key
3. you can call one model with a tiny request
4. you can clone that triple into one client without guessing

Soft CTA

If you want the product side of this writeup:

https://daoxe.com/?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=global_launch_modelsdev

If something fails, comment with client name + whether /v1/models returned 200 for your key. Do not paste API keys.

Series

1. Smoke test
2. Multiprotocol checklist
3. Client setup
4. curl OK, IDE fails
5. Claude protocol
6. This post: models.dev + account /models discovery