OpenAI Compatible API

The Poe API provides access to hundreds of AI models and bots through a single OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Switch between frontier models from all major labs, open-source models, and millions of community-created bots using the same familiar interface.

Key benefits:

Use your existing Poe subscription points with no additional setup
Access models across all modalities: text, image, video, and audio generation
OpenAI-compatible interface works with existing tools like Cursor, Cline, Continue, and more
Single API key for hundreds of models instead of managing multiple provider keys

If you're already using the OpenAI libraries, you can use this API as a low-cost way to switch between calling OpenAI models and Poe hosted models/bots to compare output, cost, and scalability, without changing your existing code. If you aren't already using the OpenAI libraries, we recommend that you use our Python SDK.

Using the OpenAI SDK

# pip install openai
import os, openai

client = openai.OpenAI(
    api_key=os.getenv("POE_API_KEY"), # https://poe.com/api_key
    base_url="https://api.poe.com/v1",
)

chat = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="Claude-Opus-4.1",  # or other models (Claude-Sonnet-4, Gemini-2.5-Pro, Llama-3.1-405B, Grok-4..)
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Top 3 things to do in NYC?"}],
)
print(chat.choices[0].message.content)

// npm install openai
import OpenAI from "openai";

const client = new OpenAI({
    apiKey: "your_poe_api_key", // https://poe.com/api_key
    baseURL: "https://api.poe.com/v1",
});

const completion = await client.chat.completions.create({
    model: "Grok-4", // or other models (Claude-Sonnet-4, Gemini-2.5-Pro, GPT-Image-1, Veo-3..)
    messages: [
        {
            role: "system",
            content:
                "You are Grok, a highly intelligent, helpful AI assistant.",
        },
        {
            role: "user",
            content:
                "What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything?",
        },
    ],
});

console.log(completion.choices[0].message.content);

curl "https://api.poe.com/v1/chat/completions" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $POE_API_KEY" \
    -d '{
        "model": "Claude-Sonnet-4",
        "messages": [
            {
                "role": "user",
                "content": "Write a one-sentence bedtime story about a unicorn."
            }
        ]
    }'

Options

Poe Python Library (✅ recommended)

Install with pip install fastapi-poe for a native Python interface, better error handling, and ongoing feature support.

→ See the External Application Guide to get started.
OpenAI-Compatible API (for compatibility use cases only)

Poe also supports the /v1/chat/completions format if you're migrating from OpenAI or need a REST-only setup.

Base URL: https://api.poe.com/v1

For new projects, use the Python SDK--it's the most reliable and flexible way to build on Poe.

Known Issues & Limitations

Bot Availability

Private bots are not currently supported - Only public bots can be accessed through the API
The App-Creator bot is not available via the OpenAI-compatible API endpoint (or via the Poe Python library)

Media Bot Recommendations

Image, video, and audio bots should be called with stream=False for optimal performance and reliability

Parameter Handling

Best-effort parameter passing - We make our best attempts to pass down parameters where possible, but some model-specific parameters may not be fully supported across all bots
Custom parameters (aspect, size, etc.) - You can pass custom bot parameters through the OpenAI SDK using the extra_body parameter. For example: extra_body={"aspect": "1280x720"} for Sora-2. Alternatively, you can use the Poe Python SDK with fp.ProtocolMessage(parameters={...}). See the External Application Guide for details on available parameters.

Additional Considerations

Some community bots may have varying response formats or capabilities compared to standard language models

API behavior

Here are the most substantial differences from using OpenAI:

The strict parameter for function calling is ignored, which means the tool use JSON is not guaranteed to follow the supplied schema.
Audio input is not supported; it will simply be ignored and stripped from input
Most unsupported fields are silently ignored rather than producing errors. These are all documented below.

Detailed OpenAI Compatible API Support

Request fields

Field	Support status
`model`	Use Poe bot names (Note: Poe UI-specific system prompts are skipped)
`max_tokens`	Fully supported
`max_completion_tokens`	Fully supported
`stream`	Fully supported
`stream_options`	Fully supported
`top_p`	Fully supported
`tools`	Fully Supported
`tool_choice`	Fully Supported
`parallel_tool_calls`	Fully Supported
`stop`	All non-whitespace stop sequences work
`temperature`	Between 0 and 2 (inclusive).
`n`	Must be exactly 1
`logprobs`	Ignored
`store`	Ignored
`metadata`	Ignored
`response_format`	Ignored
`prediction`	Ignored
`presence_penalty`	Ignored
`frequency_penalty`	Ignored
`seed`	Ignored
`service_tier`	Ignored
`audio`	Ignored
`logit_bias`	Ignored
`user`	Ignored
`modalities`	Ignored
`top_logprobs`	Ignored
`reasoning_effort`	Ignored (use `extra_body` instead)
`extra_body`	Fully supported - use to pass custom bot parameters like `reasoning_effort`, `thinking_budget`, etc.

Response fields

Field	Support status
`id`	Fully supported
`choices[]`	Will always have a length of 1
`choices[].finish_reason`	Fully supported
`choices[].index`	Fully supported
`choices[].message.role`	Fully supported
`choices[].message.content`	Fully supported
`choices[].message.tool_calls`	Fully supported
`object`	Fully supported
`created`	Fully supported
`model`	Fully supported
`finish_reason`	Fully supported
`content`	Fully supported
`usage.completion_tokens`	Fully supported
`usage.prompt_tokens`	Fully supported
`usage.total_tokens`	Fully supported
`usage.completion_tokens_details`	Always empty
`usage.prompt_tokens_details`	Always empty
`choices[].message.refusal`	Always empty
`choices[].message.audio`	Always empty
`logprobs`	Always empty
`service_tier`	Always empty
`system_fingerprint`	Always empty

Using Custom Parameters with `extra_body`

You can pass custom bot-specific parameters using the extra_body field. This allows you to control features like reasoning effort, thinking budget, aspect ratios for image generation, and other model-specific settings.

import os, openai

client = openai.OpenAI(
    api_key=os.getenv("POE_API_KEY"),
    base_url="https://api.poe.com/v1",
)

# Example: Using aspect ratio and quality with image generation models
response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="GPT-Image-1",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "A serene landscape with mountains"}],
    extra_body={
        "aspect": "3:2",    # Options: "1:1", "3:2", "2:3", "auto"
        "quality": "high"   # Options: "low", "medium", "high"
    },
    stream=False  # Recommended for image generation
)

import OpenAI from "openai";

const client = new OpenAI({
    apiKey: process.env.POE_API_KEY,
    baseURL: "https://api.poe.com/v1",
});

// Example: Using aspect ratio and quality with image generation models
const response3 = await client.chat.completions.create({
    model: "GPT-Image-1",
    messages: [{ role: "user", content: "A serene landscape with mountains" }],
    extra_body: {
        aspect: "3:2",    // Options: "1:1", "3:2", "2:3", "auto"
        quality: "high"   // Options: "low", "medium", "high"
    },
    stream: false  // Recommended for image generation
});

Error message compatibility

The compatibility layer maintains consistent error formats with the OpenAI API. However, the detailed error messages may not be equivalent. We recommend only using the error messages for logging and debugging.

All errors return:

{
  "error": {
    "code": 401,
    "type": "authentication_error",
    "message": "Invalid API key",
    "metadata": {...}
  }
}

HTTP / `code`	`type`	When it happens
400	`invalid_request_error`	malformed JSON, missing fields
401	`authentication_error`	bad/expired key
402	`insufficient_credits`	balance ≤ 0
403	`moderation_error`	permission denied or authorization issues
404	`not_found_error`	wrong endpoint / model
408	`timeout_error`	model didn't start in a reasonable time
413	`request_too_large`	tokens > context window
429	`rate_limit_error`	rpm/tpm cap hit
502	`upstream_error`	model backend not working
529	`overloaded_error`	transient traffic spike

Retry tips

Respect Retry-After header on 429/503.
Exponential back‑off (starting at 250 ms) plus jitter works well.
Idempotency: resubmit the exact same payload to safely retry.

Header compatibility

While the OpenAI SDK automatically manages headers, here is the complete list of headers supported by Poe's API for developers who need to work with them directly.

Response Headers:

Header	Definition	Support Status
`openai-organization`	OpenAI org	Unsupported
`openai-processing-ms`	Time taken processing your API request	Supported
`openai-version`	REST API version (`2020-10-01`)	Supported
`x-request-id`	Unique identifier for this API request (troubleshooting)	Supported

Rate Limit Headers

Our rate limit is 500 requests per minute (rpm). We support request-based rate limit headers but do not support token-based rate limiting:

Supported (Request-based):

x-ratelimit-limit-requests - Maximum requests allowed per time window (500)
x-ratelimit-remaining-requests - Remaining requests in current time window
x-ratelimit-reset-requests - Seconds until the rate limit resets

Not Supported (Token-based):

x-ratelimit-limit-tokens - Not applicable (Poe does not use token-based rate limiting)
x-ratelimit-remaining-tokens - Not applicable
x-ratelimit-reset-tokens - Not applicable

Getting Started

# pip install openai
import os
import openai

client = openai.OpenAI(
  api_key=os.environ.get("POE_API_KEY"),
  base_url="https://api.poe.com/v1",
)
completion = client.chat.completions.create(
  model="gemini-2.5-pro",  # or other models (Claude-Sonnet-4, GPT-4.1, Llama-3.1-405B, Grok-4..)
  messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "What are the top 3 things to do in New York?"}],
)

print(completion.choices[0].message.content)

// npm install openai
import OpenAI from "openai";

const client = new OpenAI({
    apiKey: process.env.POE_API_KEY,
    baseURL: "https://api.poe.com/v1",
});

const completion = await client.chat.completions.create({
    model: "Claude-Sonnet-4", // or other models (Gemini-2.5-Pro, GPT-Image-1, Veo-3, Grok-4..)
    messages: [
        {
            role: "user",
            content: "What are the top 3 things to do in New York?",
        },
    ],
});

console.log(completion.choices[0].message.content);

curl "https://api.poe.com/v1/chat/completions" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $POE_API_KEY" \
    -d '{
        "model": "Grok-4",
        "messages": [
            {
                "role": "user",
                "content": "What are the top 3 things to do in New York?"
            }
        ]
    }'

Streaming

You can also use OpenAI's streaming capabilities to stream back your response:

# pip install openai
import os
import openai

client = openai.OpenAI(
  api_key=os.environ.get("POE_API_KEY"),
  base_url="https://api.poe.com/v1",
)

stream = client.chat.completions.create(
  model="Claude-Sonnet-4",  # or other models (Gemini-2.5-Pro, GPT-Image-1, Veo-3, Grok-4..)
  messages=[
    {"role": "system", "content": "You are a travel agent. Be descriptive and helpful."},
    {"role": "user", "content": "Tell me about San Francisco"},
  ],
  stream=True,
)

for chunk in stream:
	print(chunk.choices[0].delta.content or "", end="", flush=True)

// npm install openai
import OpenAI from "openai";

const client = new OpenAI({
    apiKey: process.env.POE_API_KEY,
    baseURL: "https://api.poe.com/v1",
});

const stream = await client.chat.completions.create({
    model: "Gemini-2.5-Pro", // or other models (Claude-Sonnet-4, GPT-Image-1, Veo-3, Llama-3.1-405B..)
    messages: [
        {
            role: "system",
            content: "You are a travel agent. Be descriptive and helpful.",
        },
        {
            role: "user",
            content: "Tell me about San Francisco",
        },
    ],
    stream: true,
});

for await (const chunk of stream) {
    process.stdout.write(chunk.choices[0]?.delta?.content || "");
}

curl "https://api.poe.com/v1/chat/completions" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $POE_API_KEY" \
    -d '{
        "model": "gpt-4.1",
        "messages": [
            {
                "role": "system",
                "content": "You are a travel agent. Be descriptive and helpful."
            },
            {
                "role": "user",
                "content": "Tell me about San Francisco"
            }
        ],
        "stream": true
    }' \
    --no-buffer

File Inputs

You can also pass in files using base64-encoded data URLs:

# pip install openai
import os
import openai

client = openai.OpenAI(
  api_key=os.environ.get("POE_API_KEY"),
  base_url="https://api.poe.com/v1",
)

with open("test_pdf.pdf", "rb") as f:
    base64_pdf = base64.b64encode(f.read()).decode("utf-8")

with open("test_image.jpeg", "rb") as f:
    base64_image = base64.b64encode(f.read()).decode("utf-8")

with open("test_audio.mp3", "rb") as f:
    base64_audio = base64.b64encode(f.read()).decode("utf-8")

with open("test_video.mp4", "rb") as f:
    base64_video = base64.b64encode(f.read()).decode("utf-8")

stream = client.chat.completions.create(
  model="Claude-Sonnet-4",  # or other models
  messages=[
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": [
            {
                "type": "text",
                "text": "Please describe these attachments."
            },
            {
                "type": "image_url",
                "image_url": {
                    "url": f"data:image/jpg;base64,{base64_image}"
                }
            },
            {
                "type": "file",
                "file": {
                    "filename": "test_guide.pdf",
                    "file_data": f"data:application/pdf;base64,{base64_pdf}"
                }
            },
            {
                "type": "file",
                "file": {
                    "filename": "test_audio.mp3",
                    "file_data": f"data:audio/mp3;base64,{base64_audio}"
                }
            },
            {
                "type": "file",
                "file": {
                    "filename": "test_video.mp3",
                    "file_data": f"data:video77/mp4;base64,{base64_video}"
                }
            }
        ]
    }
  ],
  stream=True,
)

for chunk in stream:
	print(chunk.choices[0].delta.content or "", end="", flush=True)

import fs from "fs";
import path from "path";
import { OpenAI } from "openai";

const client = new OpenAI({
    apiKey: process.env.POE_API_KEY,
    baseURL: "https://api.poe.com/v1",
});

const base64_pdf = fs.readFileSync(path.resolve("test_pdf.pdf"), { encoding: "base64" });
const base64_image = fs.readFileSync(path.resolve("test_image.jpeg"), { encoding: "base64" });
const base64_audio = fs.readFileSync(path.resolve("test_audio.mp3"), { encoding: "base64" });

const stream = await client.chat.completions.create({
    model: "Claude-Sonnet-4", // or other models
    messages: [
        {
            role: "user",
            content: [
                {
                    "type": "text",
                    "text": "Please describe these attachments."
                },
                {
                    "type": "image_url",
                    "image_url": {
                        "url": `data:image/jpg;base64,${base64_image}`
                    }
                },
                {
                    "type": "file",
                    "file": {
                        "filename": "test_guide.pdf",
                        "file_data": `data:application/pdf;base64,${base64_pdf}`
                    }
                },
                {
                    "type": "file",
                    "file": {
                        "filename": "test_audio.mp3",
                        "file_data": `data:audio/mp3;base64,${base64_audio}`
                    }
                },
                {
                    "type": "file",
                    "file": {
                        "filename": "test_video.mp3",
                        "file_data": `data:video/mp4;base64,${base64_video}`
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
    ],
    stream: true,
});

for await (const chunk of stream) {
    process.stdout.write(chunk.choices[0].delta.content || "");
}

curl "https://api.poe.com/v1/chat/completions" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $POE_API_KEY" \
    -d '{
        "model": "Claude-Sonnet-4",
        "messages": [
            {
                "role": "user",
                "content": [
                    {
                        "type": "text",
                        "text": "Please describe these attachments."
                    },
                    {
                        "type": "image_url",
                        "image_url": {
                            "url": "...base64 encoded url here..."
                        }
                    },
                    {
                        "type": "file",
                        "file": {
                            "filename": "test_guide.pdf",
                            "file_data": "...base64 encoded url here..."
                        }
                    },
                    {
                        "type": "file",
                        "file": {
                            "filename": "test_audio.mp3",
                            "file_data": "...base64 encoded url here..."
                        }
                    },
                    {
                        "type": "file",
                        "file": {
                            "filename": "test_video.mp3",
                            "file_data": "...base64 encoded url here..."
                        }
                    }
                ]
            }
        ],
        "stream": true
    }' \
    --no-buffer

Migration checklist (OpenAI → Poe in 60 s)

Swap base URL - https://api.openai.com/v1 → https://api.poe.com/v1
Replace key env var - OPENAI_API_KEY → POE_API_KEY
Select the model/bot you want to use e.g. Claude-Opus-4.1
Delete any n > 1, audio, or parallel_tool_calls params.
Run tests - output should match except for intentional gaps above.

Pricing & Availability

All Poe subscribers can use their existing subscription points with the API at no additional cost.

This means you can seamlessly transition between the web interface and API without worrying about separate billing structures or additional fees. Your regular monthly point allocation works exactly the same way whether you're chatting directly on Poe or accessing bots programmatically through the API.

If your Poe subscription is not enough, you can now purchase add-on points to get as much access as your application requires. Our intent in pricing these points is to charge the same amount for model access that underlying model providers charge. Any add-on points you purchase can be used with any model or bot on Poe and work across both the API and Poe chat on web, iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows.

Support

Feel free to reach out to support if you come across some unexpected behavior when using our API or have suggestions for future improvements.