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Bring your own API key

Use your own Anthropic or OpenAI key instead of Inkwell's hosted AI, pick the model, and see how a key changes what counts against your plan.

1 min readUpdated
Try it in Plot

Every plan includes Inkwell-hosted AI with a monthly allowance. If you already pay a provider directly, you can use that key instead: skills, chat, inline edit, and ghost text then run against your account with them, and do not count against Inkwell's allowance.

Settings → AI & keys: the provider menu (1) — Inkwell hosted unless you change it — the button that saves that choice (2), and the keys you have stored (3) below it.
Settings → AI & keys: the provider menu (1) — Inkwell hosted unless you change it — the button that saves that choice (2), and the keys you have stored (3) below it.

  1. Open AI & keys

    Press ⌘, and choose AI & keys. The page shows which provider is active and any keys you have stored.

  2. Choose the provider

    Pick Anthropic or OpenAI. Inkwell hosted is the default and needs no key.

  3. Paste the key

    Choose Add key, paste the key from the provider's console, and save. Plot checks it with a small request and tells you if the provider rejected it.

  4. Pick the default model

    Choose the model new runs should use. You can still change it per run from the skill's options.

  5. Rotate or remove it later

    The same page shows when the key was added and lets you replace or remove it. Removing it switches you back to hosted AI without losing any results.

AI & keys

The key is checked when you save it. The page shows when it was added, and you replace or remove it from there.

What next

  • Models and plans

    Which AI models each plan can use, how the monthly allowance is counted, and what changes when you bring your own key.

    Concept · 1 min read

  • What each AI feature reads

    The part of your script a skill, the Dramaturg, Agent Mode, inline edit, and ghost text each read, and which provider runs the model.

    Concept · 1 min read

  • Credits and overage

    What happens when the month's AI allowance runs out, how prepaid credit packs work, and how turning on overage lets runs draw them down instead of stopping.

    Concept · 2 min read

Read the full walkthrough

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