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With your own API key, Elephas sends your question and the matching passages from your documents straight from your computer to the AI provider you already pay. Elephas is not in the path and cannot see them. You pick the provider and the model, and your provider bills you for what you use.
Your own API key works with an Elephas trial or a Personal or Professional plan, in your Personal workspace. It is not available in Team workspaces. See Plans and pricing.

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Before you start

  • Sign in to Elephas, with an active trial or plan.
  • Get an API key from your provider’s website. Elephas links to the right page with Get a Key.
  • The key must allow API use of a chat model, with credit on the account.

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Supported providers

OpenAI, Anthropic (Claude), Google Gemini, Groq, Mistral, xAI (Grok), DeepSeek, OpenRouter and Together AI. For any other service that offers an OpenAI-compatible API, use a custom endpoint.

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Steps

1

Open Settings › AI

Press ⌘, on Mac or Ctrl+, on Windows, then click AI. Under How Elephas answers, click My own AI account.
2

Choose your provider

OpenAI and Anthropic (Claude) are listed already. Click the one you use. For another provider, click Connect another provider… and pick it from the list.Choosing an account switches Elephas to your own key straight away. The account in use is marked In use. The others show Switch.
3

Paste your key

Paste the key into API key and click Save Key. Elephas checks it with your provider, which shows Checking your key… and then Your key works.
4

Pick a model

Under Choose a model, Elephas lists the chat models your key can use. Type in Find a model to filter a long list. Click a model to use it.Elephas runs a short check with that model: Checking followed by the model name, then Ready and the model name. The check sends a small test message on your key. It never includes your documents.
5

Ask a question

The chat bar names your provider and model, for example Answered by: OpenAI · GPT-5.
The steps are the same on Mac and Windows.

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How it works

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Where your key is stored

Your key is saved in your system’s secure store: Keychain on Mac and Credential Manager on Windows. Settings shows An API key is saved in your system keychain. but never shows the key itself. Keys are never synced to your other devices and never written to Elephas’s logs. Each provider keeps its own key. Switching from OpenAI to Anthropic and back keeps both keys, so you can switch when one account runs low.
  • Replace Key lets you paste a new key for that provider.
  • Remove Key deletes the key from your keychain.
  • Remove Account takes a provider you added off the list. Its key stays in your keychain until you remove it.

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What is sent, and to whom

When you ask, your question, up to the last 4 chat messages and the passages Elephas needs go directly from your computer to your provider. Model lists and key checks also go directly to your provider. Elephas’s servers never receive them. See What data is sent to AI. With Protect personal information when using cloud AI on, which is the default, Elephas hides many common personal details before anything is sent. See Personal information protection. Your provider’s API terms decide whether it keeps your requests or uses them for training. Check them for the provider you use.

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Models must support Agent tools

Elephas lets the model search and read your documents step by step, which needs tool calling. A model that can’t do this is marked Can’t use Agent tools and the status says the model can’t use Agent tools here. Pick another model. Pick another model from the list.

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Your plan still matters

Your own key needs an Elephas trial or plan, checked online. A passed check lasts up to 60 minutes and is cleared when you restart Elephas. The check sends only a device ID, never your key, questions or documents. Your own key does not use your Elephas AI allowance.

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Team workspaces

Your own key is never used in a Team workspace. Team questions use Elephas AI under the Team’s AI policy. See Team AI policy.

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Troubleshooting

The full message names your provider, for example OpenAI rejected that key. Check it and paste it again. Nothing was saved. Copy the key again from your provider’s website, without spaces. See API key errors.
Add credit on your provider’s website, then ask again. Some free plans, such as Groq’s, allow only a little text each minute, which is less than one Elephas question can need. See API key errors.
Elephas saves it anyway and says You’re offline. Your key is saved and will be checked when you’re back online. Click Try Again once you are connected.
Restart Elephas and try again. On Mac, allow Elephas when Keychain asks for permission.

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FAQ

No. The key stays in your system keychain, and your questions go straight to your provider. Elephas only checks your plan, with a device ID.
No. Those are consumer subscriptions. Elephas needs an API key from the provider’s developer platform, which is billed separately by usage.
No. Team workspaces use Elephas AI or, if the Team allows it, Local AI.

Connect a custom endpoint

Choose how Elephas answers

API key errors

What data is sent to AI