BYOK — Bring Your Own Key

BYOK means bring your own key. Instead of using Vexlynk’s hosted AI and being metered on turns, you connect your own key from a supported provider — OpenAI (GPT), Anthropic (Claude), DeepSeek, Perplexity, or xAI (Grok) — or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint (the Custom option). Vexlynk routes AI requests through it, and you pay your provider directly for what you use — on a smaller Vexlynk subscription. You choose the provider and the specific model in Settings.

Why you might want it

No turn limit. Hosted plans meter AI turns per month. On BYOK, how much you can ask is a matter between you and your provider.

You control cost. You see usage on your provider’s dashboard and pay them for exactly what you used.

Your prompts go straight to your provider. The request goes to the account you own, under your own agreement with them.

It is cheaper if you use a lot of AI — and more expensive if you use very little, since you are paying a subscription and usage. Light users are usually better off on a hosted plan.

Getting a key

You need an account with a supported provider. The two most common are below; DeepSeek, Perplexity and xAI (Grok) work exactly the same way — create an API key in that provider’s console, then paste it into Vexlynk and pick a model. The Custom option connects any OpenAI-compatible endpoint (base URL + key).

Anthropic

1. Go to console.anthropic.com and sign up
2. Add billing — API access is prepaid, separate from any Claude.ai subscription you may have
3. Open API Keys and create a new key
4. Copy it immediately. The full key is shown once and cannot be retrieved later

OpenAI

1. Go to platform.openai.com and sign up
2. Add billing — again separate from any ChatGPT subscription
3. Open API keys and create a new secret key
4. Copy it immediately — it is shown once

DeepSeek, Perplexity, xAI (Grok), or a Custom endpoint

Same idea — sign up, add billing, create an API key, paste it into Vexlynk, and pick a model:

• DeepSeek — platform.deepseek.com
• Perplexity — perplexity.ai → API settings
• xAI (Grok) — console.x.ai (models like Grok 3 and Grok 3 mini)
• Custom — any OpenAI-compatible API: enter its base URL and your key

A consumer subscription is not the same as API access. Paying for Claude.ai or ChatGPT does not give you a working API key; the API is billed separately.

Connecting it to Vexlynk

BYOK is a plan variant — Plus BYOK or Pro BYOK — so you choose it when you subscribe or switch.

Once you are on a BYOK plan, the AI area of Settings shows the key configuration instead of the usage meter. Paste the key there.

Your key is stored encrypted and is never written into a workspace or a card.

What does not change

BYOK changes how AI is billed, not what your plan includes. Workspaces, connected sources, Vlynks and cloud sync are the same as the equivalent hosted plan — see Plans & Limits.

The agent behaves identically. Everything in Using the AI Agent applies.

Looking after the key

• Treat it like a password. Anyone with it can spend on your account
• Set a spending limit on your provider’s dashboard — both support one, and it is the cheapest protection against a surprise
• If you think it has leaked, revoke it at the provider and create a new one

Next

• AI Turns & Usage — how the hosted alternative is metered
• Plans & Limits — what each plan includes