Disclosure: I work on Modelflare, an OpenAI-compatible AI API gateway. The canonical version of this article lives on modelflare.dev.
Trace an AI API Request Across Every Attempt is an explicit production contract, not an isolated code change. Define the success signal, terminal failure state, and rollback condition before moving traffic. The artifact below separates evidence from assumption and keeps every attempt attributable.
Start with request, prove attempt under a deterministic case, and make privacy a release gate rather than a follow-up task.
Use this table as the review record. A row passes only when its evidence comes from the same request, test window, or configuration snapshot.
| Checkpoint | Evidence to capture | Pass condition |
|---|---|---|
request |
request_id,tenant_pseudonym,operation,accepted_at |
The record joins to one logical request and one concrete attempt. |
attempt |
attempt_number,route_version,model,channel_pseudonym |
The record joins to one logical request and one concrete attempt. |
timing |
connect,headers,first_event,first_output,idle,total |
The value is exact, preserved, and compared at the wire boundary. |
terminal |
HTTP,provider_class,cancellation_source,retry_decision |
The owner, source, checked date, and known limitation are recorded. |
usage |
normalized_input/output/cache_categories_and_provenance |
Reserved, observed, and final values reconcile through one durable ledger. |
privacy |
allowlisted_attributes_only;no_prompt,secret,or_raw_arguments |
The limit is explicit and the request fails closed when it is exceeded. |
The example is synthetic and deterministic. Replace identifiers and thresholds with reviewed values from your own workload; never paste production secrets or customer prompts into a test fixture.
trace_id: 7f3a...synthetic
request_id: req_demo_001
operation: responses
attempts:
- attempt: 1
route_version: rv_42
model: model_alias
timings_ms: { headers: 812, first_output: 1240, total: 3100 }
terminal: upstream_503
- attempt: 2
timings_ms: { headers: 620, first_output: 980, total: 2400 }
terminal: success
usage: { input: 1800, output: 220, source: provider_normalized }
The following failures invalidate the result even when the outer HTTP request appears successful:
Modelflare can centralize OpenAI-compatible routing, keys, groups, usage records, and failure handling, but a configured route is not proof that every upstream supports every optional field. Verify the selected model and channel with the native protocol path. Keep provider prices in the current pricing source, preserve explicit zero values, and treat the final durable settlement—not an estimate—as billing truth.
Use the parent guide for the broader decision boundary and the setup documents for current client configuration.
Sources were checked on 2026-08-07. They establish the external contract or operating principle; they do not prove support on an untested provider route.
Originally published at modelflare.dev. Current models and prices: modelflare.dev/pricing · Docs: docs.modelflare.dev.