What is an LLM gateway used for?

Centralizing routing, authentication, model selection, observability and — in a privacy-first gateway — masking and prompt security for all AI traffic.

Is an LLM gateway the same as an AI gateway?

The terms overlap. 'AI gateway' is often used more broadly; 'LLM gateway' specifically denotes a routing layer for large-language-model traffic.

Do I need an LLM gateway if I only use one provider?

Yes if you want a single enforcement point for masking, prompt security, observability and key rotation. No if you only need basic routing.

Glossary

What is an LLM gateway?

An LLM gateway is a routing layer that accepts AI requests from an application and forwards them to one or more model providers.

Definition

LLM gateway — short definition

LLM gateway: An LLM gateway is a routing layer that accepts AI requests from an application and forwards them to one or more model providers.

Why it matters

Why this matters

Without a gateway, every client calls providers directly. There is no central place to mask sensitive data, apply policy, rotate keys or observe usage. A gateway gives security and platform teams one enforcement point for all AI traffic.

How it works

Step 1
Accept
The gateway accepts HTTPS/JSON requests from your app (prompt + model).
Step 2
Resolve
It picks the provider and model based on the request and your configuration.
Step 3
Forward
It calls the provider with your credentials and returns the response.

Related concepts

Implementation

Learn how this works in Privian

From definition to implementation, docs and architecture — the same idea at different layers.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is an LLM gateway used for?: Centralizing routing, authentication, model selection, observability and — in a privacy-first gateway — masking and prompt security for all AI traffic.
Is an LLM gateway the same as an AI gateway?: The terms overlap. 'AI gateway' is often used more broadly; 'LLM gateway' specifically denotes a routing layer for large-language-model traffic.
Do I need an LLM gateway if I only use one provider?: Yes if you want a single enforcement point for masking, prompt security, observability and key rotation. No if you only need basic routing.