MonkeyAI User Guide

This guide is written for first-time users. Follow this order: sign up → top up balance → create an API key → verify with curl → then configure your client or coding tool.

Beginner-friendlyOpenAI-compatibleTest first, configure later

1. What you actually need

A single Base URL: https://monkeytheme.com/v1
Your own API key
One model platform you can reuse in chat clients, code, and automation

Most setup failures come from one of four mistakes: wrong Base URL, missing /v1, wrong model name, or a bad API key.

2. Fastest onboarding path

Create an account and sign in.
Top up or confirm you have balance.
Create an API key in the dashboard.
Run a curl test first.
Only then configure Cherry Studio, Chatbox, Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, or other tools.

3. The four values you should remember

Base URL: https://monkeytheme.com/v1
API Key:  sk-your-api-key
Model:    gpt-4o-mini
API Type: OpenAI Compatible

4. First request checklist

List models

curl https://monkeytheme.com/v1/models   -H "Authorization: Bearer sk-your-api-key"

Test chat completions

curl https://monkeytheme.com/v1/chat/completions   -H "Authorization: Bearer sk-your-api-key"   -H "Content-Type: application/json"   -d '{
    "model": "gpt-4o-mini",
    "messages": [
      {"role": "user", "content": "Reply with: connection successful"}
    ]
  }'

Make curl work before touching any GUI client. That separates platform issues from client-side configuration mistakes.

5. What to read next

General chat clients

Use Client Setup. Focus on Base URL, model name, and API key.

Developers and SDK users

Use API Reference. MonkeyAI follows the OpenAI-compatible pattern.

Cursor / Claude Code / Codex

Use Coding Tools. Prefer Custom OpenAI or OpenAI-compatible settings.

6. Common error meanings

401: usually a wrong API key or accidental whitespace.
404: usually the Base URL is wrong or /v1 is missing.
429 / insufficient balance: low balance, rate limits, or a client making background requests.
Model not found: use /v1/models to confirm the actual model names first.

7. When should you delete and recreate a key?

If you suspect leakage, see strange logs, or want project-level isolation, deleting the old key and creating a new one is usually the cleanest fix.

8. Final beginner advice

Do not start with the most expensive models. Try gpt-4o-mini or deepseek-chat first.
Do not start with the most complex client. Start with curl.
Do not share full API keys in screenshots or support chats.