---
title: "Responses API"
canonical: "https://helm.docs.mindburn.org/product/responses-api"
source: "helm-ai-enterprise/docs/public/product/responses-api.md"
edit: "https://github.com/Mindburn-Labs/helm-ai-enterprise/edit/main/docs/public/product/responses-api.md"
section: "reference"
access: "public"
sensitivity: "public"
last_reviewed: "2026-02-21"
checksum_sha256: "sha256:064f4ef235c97daa2bd367ad610105250f030d7a0208ab28272ab0e6ac0b1ce6"
build_timestamp: "2026-05-24T13:40:27.882Z"
---
# Responses API Migration Stance

## Audience

## Outcome

After this page you should know what this surface is for, which source files own the behavior, which public route or adjacent page to use next, and which validation command to run before changing the claim.

## Source Truth

- Public route: `product/responses-api`
- Source document: `helm-ai-enterprise/docs/public/product/responses-api.md`
- Public manifest: `helm-ai-enterprise/docs/public-docs.manifest.json`
- Source inventory: `helm-ai-enterprise/docs/source-inventory.manifest.json`
- Validation: `corepack pnpm run docs:coverage`, `corepack pnpm run docs:truth`, and `npm run coverage:inventory` from `docs-platform`

Do not expand this page with unsupported product, SDK, deployment, compliance, or integration claims unless the inventory manifest points to code, schemas, tests, examples, or an owner doc that proves the claim.

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | First check |
| --- | --- |
| A link or route is missing from the docs website | Check `docs/public-docs.manifest.json`, `llms.txt`, search, and the per-page Markdown export before changing navigation. |
| A claim is not backed by code or tests | Remove the claim or add the missing code, example, schema, or validation command before publishing. |

## Position

HELM currently implements the **OpenAI Chat Completions API** (`/v1/chat/completions`) as its proxy compatibility layer. This is the industry-standard API used by the majority of AI agent frameworks.

## Responses API (2025+)

OpenAI introduced the Responses API as a successor to Chat Completions, adding native tool orchestration, multi-turn state management, and built-in retrieval. 

### HELM's Stance

| Aspect | Position |
|--------|----------|
| Chat Completions API | **Fully supported** — indefinite support, no deprecation planned |
| Responses API | **Tracked** — monitoring adoption across the ecosystem |
| Migration timeline | **No near-term migration** — will implement when ecosystem adoption reaches critical mass |
| Breaking changes | **None** — Chat Completions compatibility is a core contract |

### Rationale

1. **HELM's value is orthogonal** — HELM's security layer (Guardian, receipts, ProofGraph) operates at a layer below the API surface. The same governance applies regardless of the API format.
2. **Ecosystem inertia** — As of early 2026, Chat Completions remains the dominant API across providers (Anthropic, Google, Mistral, Cohere).
3. **Clean separation** — When/if HELM adds Responses API support, it will be an additional endpoint, not a replacement for Chat Completions.

### What This Means for Integrators

- **No action required** — Continue using `/v1/chat/completions`
- **Tool use** — Pass `tools` array in the request body; HELM's Guardian validates and signs tool calls before execution
- **Future-proofing** — HELM will announce Responses API support with a minimum 6-month notice period

## Missing Parameters (Tracked)

The following Chat Completions parameters are not yet proxied by HELM:

| Parameter | Status | Priority |
|-----------|--------|----------|
| `tool_choice` | Planned | P1 |
| `parallel_tool_calls` | Planned | P1 |
| `response_format` | Planned | P1 |
| `logprobs` | Not planned | P2 |
| `top_logprobs` | Not planned | P2 |

These parameters are pass-through to upstream providers and do not affect HELM's security guarantees. Implementation is tracked in the API conformance backlog.

## Diagram

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    subgraph Ingestion["1. Ingestion & Context Plane"]
        source["Responses API Migration Stance"]
        s0["Position"]
        s1["Responses API (2025+)"]
        s2["Missing Parameters (Tracked)"]
        output["Reader outcome"]
    end

    %% Operational Flow Edges
    source --> s0
    s0 --> s1
    s1 --> s2
    s2 --> output

    %% Premium Styling Rules
```