> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.altrum.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Send your first request

> Store a provider credential, create a virtual key, and send your first governed request through the AI Gateway.

In five minutes you will send a request through Altrum and see it in the request log. You need the Owner or Admin role, and an API key from a model provider such as OpenAI.

**1. Add a provider credential**

Open **AI Gateway**, **Provider credentials**, and add your OpenAI API key. Altrum stores it encrypted and never shows it again. See [Provider credentials](/ai-gateway/provider-credentials.md).

**2. Create a virtual key**

Open **Virtual keys** and create an organization key. Copy it now: it starts with `sk-alt-` and is shown only once. Save it in an environment variable:

```bash theme={null}
export ALTRUM_VIRTUAL_KEY="sk-alt-..."
```

**3. Send a request**

Use the OpenAI SDK as you would anyway, with Altrum's address as the base URL and the virtual key as the API key:

```python theme={null}
import os
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    base_url="https://api.altrum.ai/v1",
    api_key=os.environ["ALTRUM_VIRTUAL_KEY"],
)

reply = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="openai/gpt-4o-mini",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Where is my parcel?"}],
)
print(reply.choices[0].message.content)
```

**AI Gateway**, **Overview** has the same code for the Anthropic and Google SDKs and for curl, with your address filled in.

**4. Find it in the request log**

Open **AI Gateway**, **Request log**. Your request is there with its model, tokens, cost, time taken and the guardrails that checked it.

## Next

* Use Claude Code or another coding agent through Altrum: [Coding agents](/ai-gateway/coding-agents.md).
* Put guardrails on the traffic: [Organization guardrails](/guardrails/organization.md).
* Set a monthly budget: [Budgets and rate limits](/ai-gateway/budgets-and-limits.md).
* Prepare your code for refusals: [Handle errors](/ai-gateway/handle-errors.md).


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