What is Netlify AI Gateway?

Netlify AI Gateway is a service that removes the friction of working with AI models in your code. Instead of signing up for separate provider accounts, managing multiple API keys, or setting up individual billing with each AI company, the AI Gateway handles all of that for you. It automatically provides the credentials and routing needed to call models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google Gemini directly from your Netlify project. The result is a faster path from experimenting with AI to something ready for production.

Who it's for

• Vibe coders who want to drop AI features into their projects without pausing to create provider accounts or manage API keys
• Full-stack developers building with frameworks like Next.js, Astro, TanStack Start, or Nuxt who need a simple way to add AI inference to server-side code
• Small teams on credit-based Netlify plans who want to control AI spending through a single billing system instead of juggling multiple provider credits

Key features

Automatic environment variable setup

Netlify automatically sets the API keys and custom base URLs for OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google Gemini in all compute contexts — Functions, Edge Functions, and Preview Servers. Official client libraries pick these up without any extra configuration, so you can start making AI calls immediately.

Unified billing through credits

When the AI Gateway makes a call to a provider on your behalf, it converts the actual token usage into Netlify credits. This means you manage one balance instead of maintaining separate credit accounts with each AI provider. No surprise invoices from multiple vendors.

No prompt or output storage

The AI Gateway does not store your prompts or model outputs. This design choice keeps your data private and gives you control over what gets sent to third-party providers. You can also opt out of AI features entirely if your project requires it.

Works with popular web frameworks

If you use Astro, TanStack Start, Next.js, Gatsby, or Nuxt, your server-side code runs in Netlify Functions or Edge Functions under the hood. The environment variables for AI providers are available automatically, so you don't need to change your framework setup to use the gateway.

What stands out

"Use popular AI models in your code, without needing to manage API keys or external accounts."

This one-liner captures the core value: the AI Gateway eliminates the operational overhead that usually slows down AI feature development. Instead of juggling credentials and billing across multiple providers, you get a single integration point that handles authentication, routing, and cost tracking. For teams that want to move fast without getting bogged down in account management, this is a significant time saver.

Worth checking out if…

You're building AI features into a Netlify project and want to skip the hassle of setting up separate provider accounts and managing API keys. It's especially useful if you're on a credit-based plan and want unified billing, or if you're using a supported web framework and want AI inference to work with zero configuration.