Bring your own AI keys
Add your own API key for Anthropic, OpenAI, xAI, Google or Z.ai, and chat and agent turns that run on that provider stop costing Volnyn credits. You pay the provider directly.
Every chat message and agent turn calls an AI model, and by default that call is paid for with your Volnyn credits. If you already pay a model provider — or you run a lot of agent traffic — you can put those calls on your own provider account instead.
Open Automations (/user/automations), click the API tab, and scroll to Use your own AI keys — "Calls on a provider you have a key for stop costing credits — you pay that provider directly."
Supported providers
| Provider | Models it covers |
|---|---|
| Anthropic | Claude |
| OpenAI | GPT models |
| xAI | Grok |
| Gemini | |
| Z.ai | GLM |
Adding a key
- Create an API key in your provider's console.
- In Volnyn, go to Automations → API → Use your own AI keys.
- Pick the provider from the list.
- Paste the key into Paste the key.
- Click Save.
The key is "Stored encrypted. It is never shown again — only its last four characters." Your saved keys are listed as, for example, Anthropic ••••1a2b.
To replace a key, pick the same provider — it is marked (replace) — and save the new one.
Volnyn checks that what you pasted looks like a key (no spaces or line breaks). It does not call the provider when you save, so a wrong key only shows up on the first real call.
What changes
| Covered by your key — no credits | Still uses credits |
|---|---|
| Chat turns | Workflow runs and nodes |
| Agent turns, including agents answering on Slack and other channels | Image and video generation |
| API sessions | Phone calls, website builds and other tools with their own price |
Your key is used when the turn runs on a model from that provider:
- For an agent, that is the provider behind the model picked in Agent Preferences.
- For chats on the Recommended model, it is your Volnyn account's default provider.
Your plan still applies: a key of your own does not unlock features your plan does not include.
Managing keys
Each saved key shows its status:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| In use | Calls on this provider use your key |
| Off | Kept, but not used — calls go back to your credits |
- Turn off / Turn on — pause a key without deleting it.
- Remove — delete the key. Calls go back to using your credits.
If the provider rejects your key — revoked, invalid, or out of balance — the row shows the provider's error. Fix it at the provider or save a new key.
Tips
- Match the key to the model. An OpenAI key does nothing for an agent running on Claude. Check the model in Agent Preferences.
- Set a spending limit at the provider. Once your key is in use, usage is billed there, not capped by your Volnyn credits.
- Use a dedicated key for Volnyn so you can revoke it without affecting anything else.
FAQ
Does Volnyn store my key safely?
Keys are encrypted at rest and never shown again after you save them — only the last four characters.
Will my key be used for image generation or website builds?
No. Only chat and agent turns use your key. Other tools are charged in credits as usual.
What happens if my key stops working?
The provider's error appears next to the key. Turn it off or remove it to go back to credits, or save a working key.
Can teammates use my key?
Keys belong to your account and cover the turns charged to you.
Next steps
- Add a key for the provider your busiest agent runs on.
- Create an API key on the same page to run automations from your own code — see API access.