> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.peec.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Model Channels

> A stable way to reference AI surfaces as underlying models evolve.

## Overview

A **model channel** is a stable identifier for a specific AI surface — such as *ChatGPT UI*, *Perplexity API*, or *Google AI Overview* — that stays constant as the underlying model is upgraded or replaced over time.

Models change frequently (new versions, new names, API-only models becoming UI models), so filtering by `model_id` can cause historical data to fragment across several IDs. Filtering by `model_channel_id` gives you a continuous view of the same surface, regardless of which specific model was powering it on any given day.

<Info>
  Channels are identified by a stable `vendor-index` string such as `openai-0`
  or `perplexity-1`. The human-readable description (for example, *ChatGPT UI*)
  is returned alongside each channel and may be updated over time.
</Info>

## When to use a channel vs. a model

* Use **`model_channel_id`** when you want a stable, long-term view of a surface across model upgrades.
* Use **`model_id`** when you care about the specific model version that produced a response.

A single model may belong to multiple channels when the same underlying model powers more than one surface.

To retrieve the list of available channels, use the [List Model Channels](/api-reference/project/list-model-channels) endpoint.