Settings · 7 minutes
Add, validate, use, and remove a personal provider key
Use your own OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google key without exposing it in the desktop UI.
Use this guide with Aura
Open Aura, then keep this guide beside it while you follow the steps. Aura does not receive the page text, your account, your project, or anything you typed.
If nothing opens, start Aura normally. The written steps still work.
Before you start
- An active provider account and personal provider key.
- You understand that the provider bills usage directly.
Plan and model funding
Aura charges no software or usage fee for Personal BYOK. The provider's own prices, limits, and billing apply.
Say this in ordinary language
After choosing a personal-key model: Explain this project in three short points. Do not change anything.
Steps
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1
Open Settings, then Keys.
What you should see: OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google key controls appear.
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2
Paste one provider key and save it.
What you should see: Aura validates the key and later shows only configured status, never the raw value.
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3
Open the model picker, choose Keys, and select a supported model.
What you should see: The active model and personal-key funding source are visible.
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4
Send the safe prompt above.
What you should see: The answer completes without reducing Aura Balance.
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5
Return to Settings, Keys, and remove the provider key.
What you should see: That provider returns to not configured and its key-only models become unavailable.
What Aura may change
Your encrypted personal provider key is saved in or removed from Aura's protected key storage. It is not written into the project.
How to verify it worked
Check the provider's usage dashboard for the request and confirm Aura Balance did not decrease.
Undo or recover
Remove the key in Settings and revoke it in the provider dashboard if it may have been exposed elsewhere.
Common problems
- A key can be valid but lack model permission or provider balance.
- Never paste a provider key into chat, a project file, or a support report.