Stop calling LLM APIs directly
· 10 min read
Calling an LLM provider's SDK directly is a good way to build a prototype. Letting every product feature call that SDK directly is how a provider detail becomes an application architecture.
The distinction matters. “Stop calling LLM APIs directly” does not mean every team needs to install a commercial gateway. It means production code should call a boundary your application owns. Behind that boundary, you can make explicit decisions about providers, deadlines, errors, data policy, and degraded behavior.
Without it, adding a second API key gives you another provider. It does not give you a fallback.