What is API Proxy?
An API proxy sits between your application and an API, adding features like compression and routing. Learn how proxies optimize OpenClaw API usage.
Definition
API Proxy
An API proxy is an intermediary server that sits between your application and a third-party API. It receives your API requests, can modify or optimize them, forwards them to the target API, and returns the response. For AI APIs, proxies can add compression, routing, caching, and monitoring.
Why It Matters
Why You Should Care
API proxies enable optimizations that would be complex to build into every application. For OpenClaw users specifically, a proxy can compress prompts, route to optimal models, enforce rate limits, and track usage — all without modifying your application code. claw.zip is an AI API proxy purpose-built for OpenClaw users.
How It Works
Under the Hood
You change your API base URL from the provider (e.g., api.anthropic.com) to the proxy (e.g., api.claw.zip). The proxy receives your request, applies optimizations like prompt compression, forwards the optimized request to the actual API, and returns the response to your application. From your application's perspective, it works identically to calling the API directly.
Related Terms
Keep Learning
API Gateway
API gateways manage API traffic with routing, rate limiting, and auth. Learn how they compare to AI-specific proxies like claw.zip for OpenClaw users.
AI Model Routing
AI model routing automatically selects the cheapest capable model for each query. Learn how it reduces OpenClaw costs without sacrificing quality.
Prompt Compression
Prompt compression reduces the number of tokens in AI prompts while preserving meaning. Learn how it works and why it matters for OpenClaw API costs.
API Rate Limiting
Rate limiting controls how many API requests you can make. Learn about rate limits on OpenClaw and strategies for managing them.
See API Proxy in Action
Try claw.zip free and experience the difference for yourself.