guide
n8n
Automations. The key lives in Credentials, not the node.
Three fields. Copy, don’t type
url
https://cheapai.lol/v1
model
claude-opus-4.8
Do it in order. Don’t skip
In n8n open Credentials → Add credential → OpenAI.
API Key: your key in full.
Expand Additional Options and set Base URL to https://cheapai.lol/v1 (with /v1).
Save. In the OpenAI node pick that credential and set Model to claude-opus-4.8.
Press Execute step on a short prompt.
Check
The node ran without 401 — credential is correct.
If it didn’t start
- “401 / unauthorized / invalid api key” — the key was not copied whole. It starts with sk- and has no space at either end.
- “model not found” / “named models unavailable” / model in red — the name must match exactly: claude-opus-4.8. Not “Opus 5”, not opus, not claude-3, not gpt-4.
- The app shows no models — reopen its settings page: the model list is served from our address and appears once the Base URL and key are right.
- “Connection error” / spinner and silence — wrong Base URL. Almost every app wants the address with a /v1 tail.
- “/v1/v1” in the error — the app appends /v1 itself. Drop the tail, leave the site address.
- It replied, then stopped — you ran out of tokens. The balance is in your dashboard. Topping up on FunPay from the same nick lands on the same key.