> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.uptiq.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.uptiq.ai/control-center/ai-gateway.md).

# AI Gateway

Every model request an agent makes passes through AI Gateway. Configure the model families your organization approves once, and agents then request a capability **tier** — Economy, Smart, or Premium — rather than naming a model.

That indirection is the point. When a better model arrives, an administrator remaps the tier and every agent picks it up. No agent is edited, and no model name is hard-coded in an application.

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th>Title</th><th>Description</th><th data-card-target data-type="content-ref">Link</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>How Model Routing Works</strong></td><td>Families, providers, gateways, credentials, and tiers — read this first.</td><td><a href="/control-center/ai-gateway/how-model-routing-works.md">How Model Routing Works</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Model Catalog</strong></td><td>Check which models and providers are available, and their context windows.</td><td><a href="/control-center/ai-gateway/model-catalog.md">Model Catalog</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Gateway Settings</strong></td><td>Enable families, authenticate providers, and map a model to each tier.</td><td><a href="/control-center/ai-gateway/gateway-settings.md">Gateway Settings</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

## Configure and verify

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Choose the families

Enable each approved family in [Gateway Settings](/control-center/ai-gateway/gateway-settings.md) and designate one as the default. The default serves any request that doesn't name a family.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Connect providers and credentials

For each family, choose a gateway, then authenticate its providers with a **UPTIQ managed key** or **Bring your own key**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Map the tiers

Assign a model to Economy, Smart, and Premium. Save one family before moving to the next — unsaved changes are discarded.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Audit before you deploy

Open [Model Catalog](/control-center/ai-gateway/model-catalog.md) and confirm each provider you rely on shows `Enabled` before agents depend on it.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## At a glance

| Question                     | Answer                                                                                   |
| ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| What it controls             | Which model families, providers, and models agents can reach                             |
| Who configures it            | An administrator with Control Center access                                              |
| Scope                        | Family availability, credentials, and tier mappings are configured per project           |
| Where usage appears          | [Credit Usage](/control-center/cost-control/credit-usage.md) for managed-key spend       |
| Where a served request shows | [Runs & Traces](/control-center/observe/runs-and-traces.md) shows the model and provider |
| Where changes are recorded   | [Audit Trails](/control-center/observe/audit-trails.md)                                  |

{% hint style="info" %}
Model Catalog reports status only. Every change to provider configuration happens in Gateway Settings.
{% endhint %}

## Where requests run

The provider you authenticate decides which cloud account and region serves the inference, and a bank-owned deployment can keep the whole runtime inside its own perimeter. See [Security FAQ](/control-center/detailed-security-and-runtime-faq.md) for deployment architecture, data residency, and what the platform logs.

## Related

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th>Title</th><th>Description</th><th data-card-target data-type="content-ref">Link</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Cost Control</strong></td><td>Track credits and set usage limits against model spend.</td><td><a href="/control-center/cost-control.md">Cost Control</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Observe</strong></td><td>Inspect runs, LLM calls, and configuration history.</td><td><a href="/control-center/observe.md">Observe</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Agent Controls</strong></td><td>Stop selected agents or all agents during an emergency.</td><td><a href="/control-center/govern/agent-controls.md">Agent Controls</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Glossary</strong></td><td>Look up family, provider, gateway, tier, and credential terms.</td><td><a href="/start-here/glossary.md">Glossary</a></td></tr></tbody></table>


---

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