## Overview

Each account can use its **own keys** for AI providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Groq, xAI,
DeepSeek, OpenRouter, Cohere, ElevenLabs) — known as **BYOK** (bring your own key). When the account
provides no keys, the operator's global keys apply.

**Tavily** shows up on the same screen, but it is there for a different reason: it is **not a chat
provider**. No model ever runs on that key and it never appears in the bot's model chain — it is the
key that unlocks the **web search** and **page reading** tools. Without it those two tools are
unavailable; everything else in AI keeps working normally.

## Prerequisites

- BYOK governance enabled by the operator (installation switch) and the capability active on the
  account.
- Account administrator profile to register keys.

## Step by step

1. In the account: Settings → Integrations → open the desired provider.
2. Use **Get _provider_ credentials** to create the key and **View _provider_ setup documentation**
   to check the official guide; both shortcuts appear above the form.
3. Enter the key. It is then used by that account's AI features (Brain, copilot, agents, dictation).
4. To fall back to the global keys, disable the provider integration.

## Settings & options

- **Operator governance**: the operator can turn BYOK off for the whole installation or for a
  specific account. With BYOK off:
  - the account's keys **remain stored** but stop being used;
  - new key writes are refused;
  - every AI feature falls back to the global keys.
- **Precedence**: account key (BYOK on) → installation global key.

## Use cases

- An enterprise customer that requires its own billing with the AI provider.
- An operator who centralizes AI consumption on global keys to resell by package.

## Tips, limits & best practices

- Never share keys between different customers' accounts.
- Prefer keys with a spending limit configured at the provider.
- Rotate compromised keys immediately — the change applies on the next request.

## Troubleshooting

- **"I can't save the key"**: BYOK is disabled by the operator for this account or the
  installation.
- **AI failing with quota errors**: check the balance/limit of the key in use (account or global)
  at the provider's dashboard.

## See also

- Maestro & AI: configuration and integration health
- DeepSeek as a model provider for your bot
- Web search: the bot looking things up on the public internet
- Usage and consumption limits