# Bring your own key (BYOK) for AI

> Using your own AI provider API key inside another application, with usage billed by that provider.

## What it means

Disambiguation first: in AI apps, BYOK means pasting your own API key from an AI provider so your requests are billed to your own account; the term has an older, separate meaning in cloud encryption — say so in one sentence and move on without security framing. What an API key is in plain words, usage-based billing , and when BYOK suits (choosing the provider, controlling spend).

## A practical example

You add an Anthropic key in an app’s settings; requests use that provider account and appear on its usage statement.

## Put it into practice

- Name the concrete situation before applying the label. Bring your own key (BYOK) for AI is useful only when it changes a choice, boundary or next action.
- Make the state visible: write the owner, time, source or stopping condition down instead of relying on memory.
- Review what happened. Keep the part that reduced ambiguity and change the part that added ceremony without helping the work.

## How it relates to Plexii

add, test, replace or remove Anthropic and OpenAI keys on the AI tab of Settings (/help/api-keys); some features use your own key even when signed in, such as building a Custom widget, a Mind map’s AI Expand and a Voice note’s summary views, and the Image widget and Cloud transcription use an OpenAI key (/help/widget-requirements). Link /blog/bring-your-own-ai-key for the full guide.