# Choose your path

AgentSky has six distinct integration surfaces. Each solves a different problem — pick the one that matches what you want to build, and you’ll spend zero time on the others.

| I want to… | Use | Start here | Not this |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use an agent from my terminal or shell scripts | **CLI / terminal** | [Quickstart](https://agentsky.dev/docs) | Agent API (overkill for local use) |
| Embed agents in my product — sessions, streaming, history | **Agent API** | [Agent API guide](https://agentsky.dev/docs/agent-api) | Gateway (no sessions) |
| Use one AgentSky key instead of separate Anthropic/OpenAI keys | **API Gateway** | [Gateway guide](https://agentsky.dev/docs/gateway) | Agent API (not for plain LLM calls) |
| Use agents as tools inside Claude Desktop, Cursor, or any MCP client | **MCP server** | [MCP guide](https://agentsky.dev/docs/mcp) | Agent API (MCP client manages the session) |
| Send agents messages from Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord | **Channels** | [Channels guide](https://agentsky.dev/docs/channels) | Agent API (channels handle the webhook routing) |
| Trigger agents on a schedule | **Routines** | [Routines guide](https://agentsky.dev/docs/routines) | Agent API (routines handle the cron loop) |

## The two APIs that look similar but aren’t

The most common source of confusion: **Agent API vs. API Gateway**. They share a key format and base URL but solve different problems.

**API Gateway** — you have existing code that calls Anthropic or OpenAI directly and you want a single billing account, model routing, or failover. Swap your base URL. No agents, no sessions, no state. One call, one response.

**Agent API** — you want a conversation that persists, an agent with its own instructions and tool access, and a stream your UI can subscribe to. This is the integration surface for product features. It requires creating an agent and a session.

If you’re not sure which to use: if your code calls `POST /v1/messages` (Anthropic) or `POST /v1/chat/completions` (OpenAI) today, that’s **Gateway**. If you want users to have a conversation history and you need to stream responses into a UI, that’s **Agent API**.

## What all six share

- One base URL: `https://api.agentsky.dev/v1`
- One key format: `ast_…` (minted in Developer → API keys or `sky auth login`)
- Scopes: `read ⊂ write ⊂ admin` — most integrations need `write`
- Workspaces: pass `X-Universe: <slug>` to act in an isolated universe

See [Authentication](https://agentsky.dev/docs/authentication) for the full token reference and [Concepts](https://agentsky.dev/docs/concepts) for agents, sessions, events, and billing explained.