---
title: Jan API Integration for Developers
description: Learn to build applications using Jan's local server API
video:
  type: video
  link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_jWHffIx5E
  duration: 420
---

import { List } from 'starlight-videos/components';

# Jan API Integration for Developers

Ready to build applications powered by Jan? In this advanced course, you'll learn how to integrate Jan's local server API into your own applications, enabling you to create AI-powered tools and services.

## What You'll Learn

- Understanding Jan's OpenAI-compatible API
- Setting up the local server for development
- Making your first API calls
- Authentication and security considerations
- Building a simple AI-powered application
- Best practices for production deployment

## Prerequisites

<List title="Developer Requirements" variant="caution" icon="warning">
- Jan installed and working properly
- Downloaded at least one model
- Local server enabled in Jan settings
- Basic programming knowledge (any language)
- Understanding of REST APIs and HTTP requests
- Familiarity with JSON data format
</List>

## Course Outline

### 1. API Overview
- Jan's local server architecture
- OpenAI compatibility layer
- Available endpoints and methods
- Rate limiting and resource management

### 2. Development Setup
- Enabling the local server
- Configuring ports and security
- Testing connectivity with curl
- Using API testing tools like Postman

### 3. Core API Operations
- Chat completions endpoint
- Streaming responses
- Model management
- System monitoring

### 4. Building Your First App
We'll build a simple chat application that demonstrates:
- Connecting to Jan's API
- Sending messages and receiving responses
- Handling streaming responses
- Error handling and reconnection logic

### 5. Advanced Integration Patterns
- Async/await patterns for better performance
- Caching strategies for repeated queries
- Integration with popular frameworks (Express.js, FastAPI, etc.)
- WebSocket integration for real-time apps

## Code Examples

### Basic Python Integration
```python
import requests
import json

def chat_with_jan(message):
    url = "http://localhost:1337/v1/chat/completions"
    headers = {"Content-Type": "application/json"}
    data = {
        "model": "your-model-name",
        "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": message}]
    }
    
    response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=data)
    return response.json()
```

### JavaScript/Node.js Example
```javascript
const axios = require('axios');

async function chatWithJan(message) {
    const response = await axios.post('http://localhost:1337/v1/chat/completions', {
        model: 'your-model-name',
        messages: [{ role: 'user', content: message }]
    });
    
    return response.data.choices[0].message.content;
}
```

## Security Considerations

- Keeping API endpoints local and secure
- Managing API keys and authentication
- Rate limiting to prevent abuse
- Monitoring resource usage
- Backup and recovery strategies

## Real-World Applications

Examples of what you can build:
- **Customer Service Bots**: Automated support using your data
- **Content Generation Tools**: AI-powered writing assistants
- **Code Analysis Tools**: Automated code review and suggestions
- **Personal Assistants**: Custom AI helpers for specific tasks

## Production Deployment

- Scaling considerations for multiple users
- Load balancing strategies
- Monitoring and logging
- Error handling and fallback mechanisms
- Performance optimization techniques

## Next Steps

After completing this course, consider exploring:
- **Custom Model Integration**: Adding your own fine-tuned models
- **Multi-Modal Applications**: Integrating with vision and audio models
- **Enterprise Scaling**: Deploying Jan for team use

## Resources

- [Jan API Documentation](https://jan.ai/api-reference)
- [Example Applications GitHub Repository](https://github.com/menloresearch/jan-examples)
- [Community Discord](https://discord.gg/qSwXFx6Krr) for developer support

Ready to start building? Watch the video above and follow along with the code examples!