Model integration is easiest when the interface is small and the expected output is explicit. Start with one API path and one output shape.
Integration basics
Choose one provider, one model, and one output contract. Wrap the call in a small service so the rest of the app does not depend on provider quirks.
Add basic validation and logging from the start.
Make it maintainable
Keep prompts, schemas, and model settings versioned. When the API changes, you will want a small surface area to update.
If the workflow is user-facing, make failure modes visible and recoverable.
A good integration is easy to test, easy to replace, and easy to explain to another engineer.