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Get an AI provider key

The Elaichi Agent and workflow agent steps run on your organization's own AI provider keys. This page shows where to create a key at each provider, and how to add it to Elaichi.

Info

Black plan. The Agent and workflows are part of the Black plan. Adding a key needs the Manage assistant permission, which the built-in Org Owner and Org Admin roles include.

Pick your provider:

Add the key to Elaichi

Where to find it: Settings → AI models

  1. Open Settings → AI models.
  2. Click Add provider, and pick your provider. Before your first provider, the page lists them all, so pick one there.
  3. Paste the key in API key. For a gateway, also enter its Base URL.
  4. Click Check and save.

Elaichi checks the key with the provider before it saves it. A key the provider refuses is not saved, and you see a message such as "Anthropic rejected this API key. Check it and paste it again."

You'll know it worked when: The provider shows Works and its models appear under Models. For most providers, the first key also adds a few models to start with.

You can add a key for more than one provider. Every model under Models can then be picked in the Agent and in each workflow agent step, so one step can run on Claude from Anthropic and the next on GLM from Fireworks AI.

Warning

Copy the key when you create it. Every provider below shows the full key only once. If you lose it, create a new key. Elaichi encrypts the key when you save it and never shows it again.

Anthropic

You create Anthropic keys in the Claude Console.

  1. Sign in at platform.claude.com.
  2. Open API keys.
  3. Click Create key.
  4. Name the key, for example "Elaichi".
  5. Choose an expiration. Never avoids a surprise outage. If you pick a date, add a new key in Elaichi before it expires.
  6. Set Linked account. Choose a service account, so the key keeps working if the person who made it leaves your company.
  7. Choose one workspace for the key.
  8. Copy the key. It starts with sk-ant-.
Warning

Scope the key to one workspace. A key that works in several workspaces needs an extra workspace header on every request, and Elaichi doesn't send it. Anthropic answers those requests with an error.

Good to know

  • Your Anthropic organization needs credits. With no credits, Anthropic refuses every request. Buy credits on the Billing page.
  • If Create key is turned off for you, your Anthropic role can't create keys. Ask an Anthropic organization admin.
  • See Anthropic's own guide: Get your Claude API key.

OpenAI

You create OpenAI keys on the OpenAI API platform. Each key belongs to a project.

  1. Sign in at platform.openai.com.
  2. Pick the project the key should belong to, from the project menu at the top.
  3. Open API keys.
  4. Click Create new secret key.
  5. Name the key, for example "Elaichi".
  6. Under permissions, choose All.
  7. Copy the key.
Warning

Restricted keys need two permissions. If your company requires Restricted keys, the key must be allowed to list models and to send requests to models. Without the first one, Elaichi can't load your model list. A Read only key can't run the Agent.

Good to know

  • Your OpenAI organization needs prepaid credits. Add them under Settings → Billing on the OpenAI platform.
  • A project admin can block some models for a project. A blocked model fails even with a working key.
  • See OpenAI's own guide: Where do I find my OpenAI API key?

Fireworks AI

  1. Sign in at app.fireworks.ai.
  2. Open API keys.
  3. Click Create API key.
  4. Name the key, for example "Elaichi".
  5. Copy the key.

Good to know

  • Fireworks AI bills in advance. Add a payment method and buy credits. When your balance reaches zero, Fireworks AI pauses requests unless auto reload is on.
  • Only some Fireworks AI models can use tools. Elaichi lists only those, because the Agent needs tools.
  • See Fireworks AI's own guide: Quickstart.

OpenRouter

  1. Sign in at openrouter.ai.
  2. Open Keys.
  3. Create a new key and name it, for example "Elaichi".
  4. Optionally set a credit limit for the key.
  5. Copy the key. It starts with sk-or-.
Warning

Use a regular API key, not a management key. OpenRouter management keys can manage other keys, but they can't send requests to models.

Good to know

  • OpenRouter needs credits before it answers any request.
  • When a key reaches its credit limit, OpenRouter refuses it until you raise the limit or the limit resets.
  • See OpenRouter's own guide: Authentication.

OpenAI-compatible gateway

Use this when your company runs its own AI gateway or proxy, such as LiteLLM. Elaichi talks to it the way it talks to OpenAI.

Your gateway must:

  • Be reachable on the public internet over https://. Elaichi doesn't connect to IP addresses, private hostnames or localhost.
  • Answer GET /models and POST /chat/completions under the base URL you enter.
  • Accept the key as Authorization: Bearer <key>.
  • Answer directly, without a redirect. Elaichi doesn't follow redirects to a gateway.
  • Offer at least one model that can use tools.

The Base URL is the part before /models, and usually ends in /v1, for example https://ai-gateway.example.com/v1.

LiteLLM example

  1. In your LiteLLM proxy, create a virtual key. You can do this from the LiteLLM Admin UI, or with its /key/generate endpoint.
  2. Give the key access to the models you want in Elaichi.
  3. In Elaichi, enter your proxy's address with /v1 at the end as the Base URL, and the virtual key as the API key.

See LiteLLM's own guide: Virtual keys.