> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mithunai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Answer with your own OpenAI, Anthropic or Google key

> On a plan with your own keys, answers use your OpenAI, Anthropic or Google API key, stored encrypted and never shown again. Beta, owner or admin.

On a plan with your own keys, your assistants answer with your organisation's own OpenAI, Anthropic or Google API key instead of MITHUNAI's, and the provider bills you directly. An owner or admin saves the key under **Settings → AI provider keys**. **Beta:** answers on a customer's own key have not yet been run against a live provider account.

## Save a key

1. Open **Settings → AI provider keys**. The screen is there when your plan is on your own keys.
2. Choose the provider and paste the key exactly as the provider showed it.
3. Select **Save**. The field empties: the key is encrypted for your organisation and **never shown again**, to you or anyone.

To replace a key, save a new one for the same provider. To stop using a provider, remove its key. Every save, replacement, removal and use is recorded in your [audit log](https://docs.mithunai.com/administration/audit-log.md), without the key.

**Test** sends your saved key one single-token request and tells you whether the provider accepted it. It shows the provider's status when it did not, never the provider's own text and never the key.

## What uses your key

* **Answers and follow-up suggestions** from every surface: the console, the widget, the API, MCP and chat apps.
* Your key is sent only to that provider's own API. It is never shared with the [Gateway](https://docs.mithunai.com/gateway/overview.md), which uses the keys you give it there.

Two things stay on MITHUNAI's keys on every plan: searching your documents (the embeddings your sources are indexed with) and the AI engines AI search visibility measures.

## When there is no key

If your plan is on your own keys and no key is saved for the model your assistant uses, the question is refused with `409` and the code `model_key_missing`. **It is never answered on MITHUNAI's keys instead.** If the provider refuses your key, the answer is `424` with the code `model_key_rejected`: replace the key.

Azure OpenAI keys are not supported. See also [Plan and usage](https://docs.mithunai.com/administration/plan-and-usage.md) and the [model keys API](https://docs.mithunai.com/api-reference/model-keys/list-model-keys.md).


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