Proxy (AI chat) — definition and meaning
A proxy is a relay between a roleplay front end — SillyTavern, JanitorAI — and a model's API, letting you point the app at a model it doesn't provide itself.
Last reviewed 2026-08-14
A proxy — usually a reverse proxy — is an HTTP endpoint that imitates a model API, generally OpenAI-compatible, so a front end sends chat requests there instead of to the provider. The proxy holds the API key, and whoever runs it can read every prompt and reply passing through. People use one to reach a stronger model, share a paid key across a group, or get a bundled preset. Many communities ban posting proxy links or keys publicly, since pooled access usually breaks the provider's terms. Apps that manage the model connection themselves — Character.AI, Replika, Bae — have no proxy setting; JanitorAI and Chub do.
About proxy (ai chat).
What is proxy (ai chat)?
A proxy is a relay between a roleplay front end — SillyTavern, JanitorAI — and a model's API, letting you point the app at a model it doesn't provide itself.
How is "proxy (ai chat)" used in AI companion apps?
A proxy — usually a reverse proxy — is an HTTP endpoint that imitates a model API, generally OpenAI-compatible, so a front end sends chat requests there instead of to the provider. The proxy holds the API key, and whoever runs it can read every prompt and reply passing through. People use one to reach a stronger model, share a paid key across a group, or get a bundled preset. Many communities ban posting proxy links or keys publicly, since pooled access usually breaks the provider's terms. Apps that manage the model connection themselves — Character.AI, Replika, Bae — have no proxy setting; JanitorAI and Chub do.
What other terms relate to proxy (ai chat)?
Related terms in the AI companion space include: System prompt, Jailbreak (AI), Filter (AI chat), Character card. Each has its own glossary entry on /glossary.
- System prompt
A system prompt is the hidden instruction given to an AI model before a conversation begins, defining its persona, rules, and behavior. It's how a generic model becomes a specific character.
- Jailbreak (AI)
An AI jailbreak is a prompt or technique that tricks a model into bypassing its safety guidelines or content restrictions to produce outputs it would normally refuse.
- Filter (AI chat)
A filter is the moderation layer on an AI chat platform that steers, blocks, or deletes messages — yours or the character's — when it scores them as unsafe, most often sexual, violent, or self-harm content.
- Character card
A structured persona definition — name, voice, backstory, relationship rules — used to instantiate an AI companion.