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How to Use Your Own AI Provider Key

Add your own provider API key and every request runs on the models you choose, billed to your own account — with the key stored encrypted on your device.

What "Your Providers" means

The model picker at the top of the overlay groups models into three categories: Your CLI, Your Providers, and Pluely Models. "Your Providers" is where you connect an AI provider with your own API key. Once added, that provider's models appear in the overlay like any other option, and usage bills to your account with that provider — not to Pluely.

Where your key is stored

Any provider key you add is stored encrypted directly on your device. Pluely v1 never transmits it anywhere beyond what the request needs, and it isn't shared across devices — add it again on each machine you use.

Step-by-step: adding a provider key

  1. Open the Pluely dashboard and go to the Dev / providers area.
  2. Choose "Your Providers" and select "add a new provider."
  3. Pick the provider and paste in your API key.
  4. Save. Pluely validates the key before confirming the connection.
  5. Open the overlay's model picker — the provider's models now appear under "Your Providers."
  6. Select the model you want for your next question or session.

Managing multiple provider keys

Add as many providers as you like under "Your Providers." Return to the Dev / providers area any time to add another key, update an existing one, or remove a provider. Each provider shows up as its own entry in the model picker, so you can switch between them per question.

Removing or rotating a key

If a key expires, gets revoked, or you want to rotate it for security, open the provider entry in the same Dev / providers area and replace or delete the key. Deleting a key removes that provider's models from the model picker immediately.

Why bring your own key

Your own key is the right fit when you already have a provider account with volume pricing, want usage billed directly to you, or need a specific model outside Pluely's managed lineup. It sits alongside — not instead of — Pluely's managed models, so you can fall back to "Pluely Models" any time without removing the connection.

Tips

  • Copy the entire API key with no trailing spaces before saving.
  • If a provider's models don't show up in the picker, revisit the Dev / providers area to confirm the key saved.
  • Juggling several providers? The model picker at the top of the overlay always shows your current selection.
  • Keys survive a reinstall only if your local data folder is preserved — check the uninstall guide before wiping data.

Last updated 2026-07-10 · pluely.com