Guide to BYOK: Bring Your Own Key

## What is BYOK? BYOK stands for "Bring Your Own Key." It means you use your own API keys from AI providers instead of buying through us. You have full control over which models you use and how much you spend. ## Why BYOK Matters ### You Pay Less When you use BYOK: - You pay the provider's direct rates (no markup) - You can shop around for the best prices - You can use free tiers from various providers - You're not locked into our pricing ### You Get Full Access - Use any model from any provider we support - Mix and match models in a single conversation - Switch providers anytime without losing data - Use local models (Ollama) without any API key ### Your Keys Stay Secure - Keys are stored in your browser's localStorage - Keys are sent directly to providers—we never see them - You can revoke keys anytime from the provider's dashboard - No shared keys, no pooling, no reselling ## Supported Providers AI Supreme Council supports BYOK from: - **Anthropic**: Claude models (claude-3-5-sonnet, claude-3-5-haiku) - **OpenAI**: GPT models (gpt-4o, gpt-4o-mini, gpt-3.5-turbo) and o1 models (o1, o1-mini) - **xAI**: Grok models (grok-beta) - **Google**: Gemini models (gemini-1.5-pro, gemini-1.5-flash, gemini-1.0-pro) - **OpenRouter**: 300+ models from dozens of providers - **Ollama**: Local models (no API key needed) ## Getting Started with BYOK ### Step 1: Get an API Key Each provider has their own signup process: **Anthropic** 1. Go to console.anthropic.com 2. Create an account 3. Navigate to API Keys 4. Create a new key **OpenAI** 1. Go to platform.openai.com 2. Create an account 3. Navigate to API Keys 4. Create a new secret key **xAI** 1. Go to x.ai 2. Create an account 3. Navigate to API 4. Generate an API key **Google** 1. Go to console.cloud.google.com 2. Create a project 3. Enable the Generative Language API 4. Create an API key **OpenRouter** 1. Go to openrouter.ai 2. Create an account 3. Navigate to API Keys 4. Create a new key ### Step 2: Add Your Keys to AI Supreme Council 1. Open AI Supreme Council 2. Click Settings (gear icon) 3. Navigate to "API Keys" 4. For each provider: - Select the provider - Paste your API key - Click Save Your keys are now ready to use! ### Step 3: Configure Your Council 1. Go to Council Settings 2. Select which models to use for fan-out, peer review, and synthesis 3. You can mix models from different providers 4. Save your configuration ## Cost Management ### Track Your Usage Each provider has their own dashboard for tracking usage: - **Anthropic**: console.anthropic.com → Usage - **OpenAI**: platform.openai.com → Usage - **xAI**: x.ai → API → Usage - **Google**: console.cloud.google.com → APIs & Services → Quotas - **OpenRouter**: openrouter.ai → Usage ### Set Budget Alerts Most providers let you set spending alerts: - Anthropic: In account settings - OpenAI: In billing settings - xAI: In account settings - Google: In billing section - OpenRouter: In account settings ### Best Practices - Start with free tiers when available - Use cheaper models for drafts, premium for final review - Set monthly spending limits - Monitor usage regularly - Revoke unused keys ## Security Best Practices ### Protect Your Keys - Never share your API keys - Never commit keys to git repositories - Use environment variables for development - Rotate keys periodically - Revoke keys from old projects ### How AI Supreme Council Protects Your Keys - Keys are stored in localStorage (browser-side) - Keys are sent directly to providers via HTTPS - We never see or store your keys - Keys are never sent to our servers - No key pooling or sharing ### Revoking Compromised Keys If a key is compromised: 1. Log into the provider's dashboard 2. Revoke the compromised key 3. Generate a new key 4. Update the key in AI Supreme Council 5. Your conversations are safe (stored locally) ## Using Multiple Keys You can add multiple keys from the same provider: - For failover if one key hits limits - For testing different models - For separating personal and work use The app will automatically switch between keys if needed. ## Free Tiers Many providers offer free tiers you can use with BYOK: **OpenRouter** - $5 free credit for new accounts - Some free models available **Google Gemini** - Generous free tier with rate limits - Great for getting started **Local Models (Ollama)** - Completely free - Runs on your hardware - No API key needed ## Troubleshooting ### Key Not Working - Verify the key is copied correctly (no extra spaces) - Check the key has the right permissions - Ensure the account has billing setup (if required) - Check the key hasn't been revoked ### Rate Limiting - Add multiple keys from the same provider - Upgrade your provider plan - Use cheaper models for testing - Implement request queuing in your workflow ### Incorrect Billing - Check the provider's pricing page - Verify you're using the model you think you are - Review usage logs in the provider dashboard - Contact provider support if needed ## Comparing Providers | Provider | Strengths | Weaknesses | Starting Price | |----------|-----------|------------|----------------| | Anthropic | Nuance, safety | Higher cost | $3/1M tokens | | OpenAI | Breadth, o1 models | Rate limits | $0.15/1M tokens | | xAI | Real-time, Grok | Newer provider | Variable | | Google | Free tier, speed | Limitations | Free tier | | OpenRouter | 300+ models | Extra layer | Varies by model | ## Advanced Tips ### Mix Models in a Council For example: - **Fan-out**: Use cheaper models (GPT-4o-mini, Claude 3.5 Haiku) - **Peer review**: Mix provider diversity - **Synthesis**: Use your best model (GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet) ### Use Provider-Specific Features Some providers offer unique features: - OpenAI: o1 reasoning models - Anthropic: Context window up to 200K tokens - xAI: Real-time knowledge - Google: Multimodal capabilities ### Test Before Committing - Use provider sandboxes/test APIs - Start with small batches of work - Compare outputs across providers - Track quality vs. cost tradeoffs ## Conclusion BYOK puts you in control. You choose the providers, manage the costs, and keep full ownership of your API keys. AI Supreme Council is just the interface that makes using multiple providers easy and powerful. Ready to get started? Get your API keys and start building your council today!