AI API Gateway Pre-Deployment Checklist (Free)

43 checkpoints. 7 categories. One page.

Before you flip your LiteLLM proxy to production, run through this checklist. It covers the exact mistakes that cost teams thousands in surprise bills, 3 AM outages, and leaked credentials.

What's inside:

• Authentication & Key Management — rotate keys, restrict egress, kill defaults
• Cost Control & Budget Limits — per-key caps, retry limits, embedding tax traps
• Performance & Caching — Redis config, connection pools, cache invalidation
• Fallback & Retry Configuration — sideways fallbacks, circuit breakers, cooldown timers
• Security & Access Control — SQL injection fixes, API key exposure, egress rules
• Monitoring & Alerting — what to watch, when to alert, log rotation
• Production Readiness — load testing, rollback plan, team access

Print it. Pin it. Check each box before your first production request.

By a DevOps engineer running LiteLLM across 18+ production channels.

Updated June 2026 for LiteLLM v1.x.

Want the full analysis? The AI API Gateway Pitfall Map ($9) explains WHY each check matters — with exact config fixes, a failure decision tree, and copy-paste diagnostic commands.