How do I use any AI with my own key?

Where: Settings → Content & publishing → Your AI accounts

Open this page: admin.<your-site>/settings/ai/providers (replace <your-site> with your site address)

Before you start

• Open Settings → Content & publishing → Your AI accounts. You need the permission to manage AI.
• Connecting, replacing or removing a key asks you to sign in again if you signed in a while ago.
• You need an account with the provider, and credit or billing set up there. Each provider has a short guide below.

Steps

1. Open your site admin. How do I open my site admin?
2. Go to Settings → Content & publishing → Your AI accounts. You see Connected accounts at the top and Connect your AI cards below.
3. On the provider you want, tap Get a key. Create the key on the provider's website and copy it. Each guide shows where:
   • OpenAI
   • Anthropic (Claude)
   • Google Gemini
   • Mistral
   • Groq
   • DeepSeek
   • xAI (Grok)
   • Together AI
   • Fireworks AI
   • Azure OpenAI
   • OpenRouter
   • A custom address
4. Paste the key on the card and tap Test & connect. Your admin checks the key first.
5. If the key is valid, it is saved. You see Connected ✓, and a good default model is picked for you.
6. If the key works but something else needs a fix (for example the model is not allowed on your account, or billing is not set up), the key is still saved. The card says what is wrong and shows Pick another model or Check billing. Only a key that the provider refuses is not saved.

Change or stop an account

• Test again: checks the key still works.
• Replace key: paste the new key and tap Test & save new key. The old key keeps working until the new one passes.
• Remove: deletes the key from your server. If the AI used this account as its default, it goes back to Automatic. Scheduled AI tasks that use it pause and show Needs attention. Also delete the key on the provider's website.

Choose the model

• Under Default model, tap Choose model. The AI chat and new AI tasks start with this model. You can still pick another model in the chat.
• Models that can make site changes are listed first. Models that can't are hidden or marked.
• Automatic lets the AI pick for you. With OpenRouter connected it uses free models. Without it, it uses a suitable model on your default account, billed to you.

If a model fails

Under When a model fails, try, use the arrows to set the order of your accounts. If a model can't do a step, the AI tries the next account.

• Turn on Use my other AI accounts when one runs out to let it switch accounts.
• It switches only to a model that costs the same or less, and never from a paid model to a free one.
• If a price is not known (Azure and custom addresses), it does not switch on its own. You can type prices on those cards to allow it.
• Nothing changes on your site when a model fails. The AI says which account it used instead.

Usage and cost

• Each account shows this month's requests and tokens. The Usage section shows more.
• Costs shown in your admin are estimates. Your provider's bill is the exact amount.
• You pay the provider directly. Set a monthly cap in AI budget and limits too.

Good to know

• Your keys stay on your server. They go only to the AI workspace on your own server. Keynate never sees them, and they are never shown again in full, only the first and last characters.
• You can connect one account per provider. You can add up to two Azure OpenAI resources and up to three custom addresses.
• The AI can't connect, replace or remove keys for you. Only a person can.
• Paid features and AI rules still apply. Which AI may be used

Common problems

The provider refused the key

A key that the provider refuses is the only case where nothing is saved. Copy the whole key again from the provider's website. Check you pasted it on the right card.

Your key is saved, but one thing still needs a fix

Your key is fine. Open the card and read the line under it. If the provider refused the model for your account (access, region or billing), tap Pick another model, or use the billing link on the card (Check billing on your provider) and fix it there. Then tap Test again. To test the whole AI, use Check my AI.

The account has no credit left

Add credit on the provider's website. The Billing link on the card opens it. Then tap Test again.

"Sign in again to change AI keys"

Sign in again, then repeat the step.

"Your AI workspace needs an update"

Open Settings → Advanced → Software update, and apply the update. Then try again.

"The AI workspace on your server isn't running"

Wait a minute and try again. If it keeps happening, see The AI is not working.

Questions

Related

• Use your own AI key
• Which AI may be used
• AI budget and limits
• AI not working
• Connecting OpenRouter