NextChat Setup Guide

更新日: 2026-06-23

NextChat (formerly ChatGPT Next Web) is a good fit when you want a lightweight, fast, easy-to-deploy chat frontend. When connecting it to Crazyrouter, the recommended approach is to stay on NextChat’s default OpenAI-compatible route and point the service URL at the Crazyrouter root domain.

Overview

Using NextChat’s OpenAI settings, you can route requests through Crazyrouter:

Recommended protocol: OpenAI-compatible API
Recommended route: the default NextChat OpenAI flow
Base URL: https://api.crazyrouter.com
Auth method: sk-... token
Recommended first validation model: gpt-5.5

NextChat’s official README documents BASE_URL as the OpenAI API request base URL and uses root-domain style examples. The local http://127.0.0.1:4000/api/status response also exposes a root-style server_address. So for Crazyrouter, the safest first-pass setup is https://api.crazyrouter.com; only switch to a more specific path if your customized build explicitly requires it.

Best For

users who want a lightweight chat frontend quickly
personal or small-team web chat with Crazyrouter
admins who want to ship default model and upstream settings through env vars
users who want the simplest possible OpenAI-compatible first setup

Protocol Used

Recommended protocol: OpenAI-compatible API When connecting Crazyrouter in NextChat, start with:

https://api.crazyrouter.com

Do not start with:

https://api.crazyrouter.com/v1/chat/completions
https://api.crazyrouter.com/v1/models

If an older or customized NextChat build requires a more specific API host setting, adjust to that version after you validate the baseline setup with the root domain.

The exact entry point varies by deployment style: hosted usage often exposes a settings panel, while self-hosted usage often pushes the values through environment variables only. Regardless of the UI, keep first-pass validation minimal: API Key + root-domain BASE_URL + one model gpt-5.5.

Prerequisites

Item	Details
Crazyrouter account	Register first at crazyrouter.com
Crazyrouter token	Create a dedicated `sk-...` token for NextChat
NextChat	Hosted or self-hosted is fine; use a current stable version
Available models	Allow at least one verified OpenAI-compatible chat model such as `gpt-5.5`

Recommended starting whitelist:

gpt-5.5
claude-opus-4-8
gemini-3.1-pro

5-Minute Quick Start

Create a dedicated NextChat token

In the Crazyrouter dashboard, create a token named nextchat. For the first rollout, allow only baseline models such as gpt-5.5 and claude-opus-4-8.

Open NextChat settings

In NextChat, open the Settings panel from the bottom-left icon or settings entry.

Enter the endpoint and key

In the OpenAI-related settings, enter:

API Key: your sk-...
Base URL: https://api.crazyrouter.com

Set the first model

In the Model field, manually enter or select gpt-5.5. If your version supports a custom model list, add more models later.

Run the first validation prompt

Start a new chat and send Reply only OK. Once it works, add more models gradually.

Self-Hosted Quick Config

A common Docker setup looks like this:

services:
  nextchat:
    image: yidadaa/chatgpt-next-web
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      - OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-xxx
      - BASE_URL=https://api.crazyrouter.com
      - CUSTOM_MODELS=+gpt-5.5,+claude-opus-4-8,+gemini-3.1-pro
      - HIDE_USER_API_KEY=1

Common environment variables:

Variable	Recommended value	Notes
`OPENAI_API_KEY`	`sk-xxx`	default Crazyrouter token
`BASE_URL`	`https://api.crazyrouter.com`	use the root domain first, matching the official `BASE_URL` pattern for baseline validation
`CUSTOM_MODELS`	`+gpt-5.5,+claude-opus-4-8,+gemini-3.1-pro`	adds selectable models in the UI
`HIDE_USER_API_KEY`	`1`	prevents end users from entering their own key

Recommended Model Setup

Use case	Recommended model	Why
Default main chat model	`gpt-5.5`	Verified successfully in production on March 23, 2026, and suited for the main NextChat baseline
Higher-quality long-form and explanation	`claude-opus-4-8`	Better for longer text and more complex explanations
Gemini fallback path	`gemini-3.1-pro`	Useful as a second vendor-compatible validation path

Recommended order: validate gpt-5.5 first, then expand the list with CUSTOM_MODELS.

Token Setup Best Practices

Setting	Recommendation	Notes
Dedicated token	Required	Do not share it with LobeChat, Cursor, or Codex
Model whitelist	Strongly recommended	Allow only the models the frontend should expose
IP restriction	Consider it for fixed self-hosted egress	Use carefully on changing personal networks
Quota cap	Strongly recommended	Multi-user chat traffic can grow fast
Environment separation	Recommended	Use separate tokens for demo, staging, and production
User-supplied key entry	Disable by default	Set `HIDE_USER_API_KEY=1` if you want centralized cost control

Verification Checklist

API Key is saved correctly
Base URL is set to https://api.crazyrouter.com
the first model is set to gpt-5.5
the first chat request succeeds
CUSTOM_MODELS works if you use self-hosted deployment
streaming output works normally
the request appears in the Crazyrouter logs
token quota and model whitelist match your rollout plan

Common Errors and Fixes

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
401 unauthorized	token is wrong, expired, or pasted with extra spaces	create a new token and replace it
403 / model not allowed	the model is not in the token whitelist	allow that model in Crazyrouter
404	you entered a full endpoint path, or your version expects a different env var name	switch back to `https://api.crazyrouter.com` and check whether your build uses `BASE_URL` or another setting name
the self-hosted UI does not show these settings	your deployment style fixes them in environment variables instead of the frontend settings panel	inspect `OPENAI_API_KEY`, `BASE_URL`, and `CUSTOM_MODELS` in the deployment config directly
no models appear in the UI	`CUSTOM_MODELS` is missing or old config is cached	validate with a manual `gpt-5.5` entry first, then refresh and recheck env vars
request goes out but the model fails	default model name is wrong or unavailable	fall back to `gpt-5.5` for baseline testing
users can still switch to their own key	`HIDE_USER_API_KEY=1` was not set	add that variable in deployment config
usage grows too quickly	many users share one broad token	split tokens, reduce whitelist scope, and add quota caps

Performance and Cost Tips

Default to exposing only gpt-5.5 in the first rollout
Keep premium models out of the default list until you actually need them
On public or semi-public deployments, hide user-supplied key entry whenever possible
Separate demo traffic from production traffic with different tokens
If usage looks abnormal, check Crazyrouter logs first for long sessions or many users sharing one key

FAQ

Which URL should I use in NextChat?

Start with https://api.crazyrouter.com. Because the official NextChat docs show BASE_URL in a root-domain style, and the local 4000 environment also exposes a root-style server_address. That makes the root domain the safest first-pass setup.

Which model should I test first?

Start with gpt-5.5.

Do I have to configure `CUSTOM_MODELS`?

No. You can manually enter gpt-5.5 first, validate the connection, and add a model list later.

Why do some self-hosted deployments only let me change env vars, not UI settings?

Because different NextChat deployment modes expose configuration differently. Some self-hosted setups pin upstream routing, keys, and models in environment variables, and the frontend only consumes those values.

Should I hide user-provided keys in self-hosted deployments?

Yes, if you want centralized upstream routing and predictable cost control.

If you want the lightest possible chat frontend with minimal deployment friction, NextChat is a strong fit. If you need richer collaboration or more advanced app-building features, LobeChat or Dify is usually the better next step.

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SDK & コード例

外部ツール連携

Overview

Best For

Protocol Used

Prerequisites

5-Minute Quick Start

Self-Hosted Quick Config

Recommended Model Setup

Token Setup Best Practices

Verification Checklist

Common Errors and Fixes

Performance and Cost Tips

FAQ

Which URL should I use in NextChat?

Which model should I test first?

Do I have to configure `CUSTOM_MODELS`?

Why do some self-hosted deployments only let me change env vars, not UI settings?

Should I hide user-provided keys in self-hosted deployments?

​Overview

​Best For

​Protocol Used

​Prerequisites

​5-Minute Quick Start

​Self-Hosted Quick Config

​Recommended Model Setup

​Token Setup Best Practices

​Verification Checklist

​Common Errors and Fixes

​Performance and Cost Tips

​FAQ

​Which URL should I use in NextChat?

​Why does this guide not recommend /v1 first?

​Which model should I test first?

​Do I have to configure CUSTOM_MODELS?

​Why do some self-hosted deployments only let me change env vars, not UI settings?

​Should I hide user-provided keys in self-hosted deployments?

Overview

Best For

Protocol Used

Prerequisites

5-Minute Quick Start

Self-Hosted Quick Config

Recommended Model Setup

Token Setup Best Practices

Verification Checklist

Common Errors and Fixes

Performance and Cost Tips

FAQ

Which URL should I use in NextChat?

Why does this guide not recommend `/v1` first?

Which model should I test first?

Do I have to configure `CUSTOM_MODELS`?

Why do some self-hosted deployments only let me change env vars, not UI settings?

Should I hide user-provided keys in self-hosted deployments?