Using ElkAPI in ChatBox

Prerequisites

Before you begin, please ensure:

ChatBox is installed
Download and install the version suitable for your operating system from ChatBox GitHub or visit ChatBox Official Website
ElkAPI API Key obtained
Log in to ElkAPI Console to get your API key (starts with sk-)

Tip: If you don’t have an ElkAPI account yet, please register at ElkAPI and obtain an API key first.

Step 1: Launch ChatBox and Start Configuration

When launching ChatBox for the first time or adding a new AI provider:

Launch the ChatBox application
If it’s your first time, a configuration wizard will appear automatically
Click the “Use your own API Key or local model” button
If already configured, click the ⚙️ Settings icon in the bottom left corner, or use the shortcut Ctrl+, (Windows/Linux) / Cmd+, (macOS)

Step 2: Configure ElkAPI API

2.1 Select AI Model Provider

In the settings page:

Find the AI Provider setting
Select OpenAI API (for GPT series models), Claude API (for Claude series models), or Gemini API (for Gemini series models) from the dropdown menu

2.2 Configure API Information

After selecting OpenAI API, fill in the following configuration:

Field	Value
API Key	Your ElkAPI API key (`sk-xxxxxxxxxxxx`)
API Host or API Domain	`https://api.elkapi.com`

After selecting Claude API, fill in the following configuration:

Field	Value
API Key	Your ElkAPI API key (`sk-xxxxxxxxxxxx`)
API Host or API Domain	`https://api.elkapi.com/v1`

After selecting Gemini API, fill in the following configuration:

Field	Value
API Key	Your ElkAPI API key (`sk-xxxxxxxxxxxx`)
API Host or API Domain	`https://api.elkapi.com/`

Important:

When using OpenAI API, API Host should be https://api.elkapi.com (without /v1 suffix)
When using Claude API, API Host should be https://api.elkapi.com/v1 (with /v1 suffix)
When using Gemini API, API Host should be https://api.elkapi.com/ (without /v1 suffix)
API Key must be obtained from ElkAPI console and start with sk-
Ensure your API key has sufficient balance

2.3 Select Model

After configuration, select the model you want to use from the Model dropdown: Recommended Models:

Model Name	Model ID	Features
GPT-5	`gpt-5.5`	Latest and most powerful
GPT-5.5	`gpt-5.5` or `gpt-5.5`	High-quality chat
GPT-5.4 Mini	`gpt-5.4-mini`	Fast and economical
Claude Sonnet 4.6	`claude-sonnet-4-6`	Excellent for code
Claude Opus 4.7	`claude-sonnet-4-6`	Fast response
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite	`gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview`	Multimodal support

Special Instructions for Using Claude Models:If you choose to use Claude models (such as claude-sonnet-4-6 or claude-sonnet-4-6), you need the following additional configuration:

Switch to Claude API Provider:
- Change the AI Provider to Claude API in settings
- Keep API Host as https://api.elkapi.com/v1
- Use your ElkAPI API key (sk-xxxxxxxxxxxx)
Or Add Custom Request Headers (if using OpenAI API provider):
- Some versions of ChatBox support adding custom Headers
- Add the request header in advanced settings: anthropic-version: 2023-06-01

Recommended Approach: Use OpenAI API for GPT series models, Claude API for Claude series models, and Gemini API for Gemini series models.

Performance Recommendations:

💰 Cost-effective: gpt-5.4-mini, claude-sonnet-4-6
🚀 High-performance: gpt-5.5, gpt-5.5-pro, claude-sonnet-4-6
⚡ Fast response: gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview, gpt-5.4-mini

Step 3: Start Using

After configuration, you can start using ChatBox to chat with AI:

Return to the main interface
Type your question or requirement in the input box
Press Enter or click the send button
AI will generate a reply using ElkAPI’s models

Adjust Model Parameters (Optional)

You can adjust the following parameters as needed:

Parameter	Description	Recommended Value
Temperature	Controls output randomness	0.7 (creative) / 0.3 (precise)
Max Tokens	Maximum output length	2000-4000
Top P	Nucleus sampling parameter	0.9

Advanced Features

Multi-Session Management

ChatBox supports creating multiple conversation sessions:

Click the New Chat button
Create independent sessions for different tasks
Switch between conversations in the left session list

Save and Export Conversations

Right-click on a conversation session
Select Export option
Export as Markdown, JSON, or other formats

Using Prompt Templates

Find Prompts settings in the settings menu
Save commonly used prompt templates
Quickly invoke preset prompts in conversations

FAQ

Q1: Cannot connect to ElkAPI service?

Solution:

Check API Host:
- Ensure it’s https://api.elkapi.com
- Don’t add /v1 or other paths
Verify API Key:
- Confirm API Key starts with sk-
- Check if the key is valid in ElkAPI Console
Check Network Connection:
- Ensure you can access https://api.elkapi.com
- You may need to configure a proxy if in China

Q2: ElkAPI models not showing in model list?

Solution:

Manually Enter Model Name:
- Directly type the model ID in the model input box
- For example: gpt-5.5, gpt-5.4-mini, claude-sonnet-4-6
Refresh Model List:
- Restart ChatBox application
- Reconfigure API information

Q3: Error messages during conversation?

Common errors and solutions:

Error Message	Cause	Solution
`401 Unauthorized`	Invalid or expired API Key	Re-obtain API Key and update configuration
`429 Too Many Requests`	Request rate limit exceeded	Wait a moment and retry
`500 Internal Server Error`	Temporary server issue	Wait a few minutes and retry
`insufficient_quota`	Insufficient account balance	Top up in the console

Q4: How to view API usage and costs?

📊 API call statistics
💰 Cost details
📈 Usage trend charts
🔍 Detailed request logs

Q5: Which platforms does ChatBox support?

ChatBox supports multiple platforms:

🪟 Windows - Windows 10/11
🍎 macOS - macOS 10.15+
🐧 Linux - Major distributions
🌐 Web - Browser version

Usage Tips

1. Keyboard Shortcuts

Utilize ChatBox keyboard shortcuts for efficiency:

Shortcut	Function
`Ctrl/Cmd + Enter`	Send message
`Ctrl/Cmd + N`	New chat
`Ctrl/Cmd + K`	Search conversations
`Ctrl/Cmd + ,`	Open settings
`Ctrl/Cmd + /`	Show keyboard help

2. Optimize Prompts

Write better prompts for better responses: ❌ Poor Prompt:

Write code for me

✅ Good Prompt:

Please help me write a Python function that:
1. Takes a list of strings as input
2. Filters out strings shorter than 3 characters
3. Returns results sorted alphabetically
Please include detailed comments and usage examples

3. Leverage Conversation History

ChatBox saves conversation history:

AI remembers context from the current session
Can continue asking based on previous responses
Suitable for deep discussions and iterations

4. Switch Models

Switch to appropriate models for different tasks:

Writing tasks - Use gpt-5.5 or claude-sonnet-4-6
Coding tasks - Use claude-sonnet-4-6
Quick Q&A - Use gpt-5.4-mini
Multimodal - Use gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview

Features

Using ChatBox + ElkAPI, you can:

💬 Smooth Conversations - Real-time streaming output for smoother experience
🎯 Multi-Session Management - Manage multiple independent conversations simultaneously
💾 Local Storage - Conversation records saved locally to protect privacy
📤 Export Conversations - Support exporting in multiple formats
🎨 Clean Interface - Simple and beautiful user interface
🔒 Open Source & Free - Completely open source and free to use
🌍 Cross-Platform - Supports Windows, macOS, Linux
🚀 Excellent Performance - Lightweight application, runs smoothly

Support & Help

If you encounter any issues:

📚 ElkAPI Documentation
📚 ChatBox GitHub
📧 Technical Support: support@elkapi.com

Chat Applications

Development Tools

Application Platforms

Using ElkAPI in ChatBox

Prerequisites

Step 1: Launch ChatBox and Start Configuration