Add your own provider key
Prefer a hosted model? Bring your own API key from any provider you already use. You pay them directly, and your key stays on your machine.
What bring-your-own-key means
With bring-your-own-key, SideSense talks to your chosen provider using a key you supply. Only the text needed for a draft is sent, directly to that provider under their terms. We do not mark up the cost, do not store your key on our servers, and never see that text.
Get a key from your provider
Create a key in your provider's dashboard, then copy it. Most providers show the full key only once, so paste it into SideSense right away or store it somewhere safe.
Add it to SideSense
Open Settings and go to AI models. Choose your provider, paste the key, and pick a model to use, for example GPT-5.5, Claude Sonnet 5, or any model your OpenRouter account can reach. SideSense will use it for your drafts from then on. You can remove or replace the key at any time.
Costs and limits
Your provider bills you for what you use, and their rate limits apply. Keep an eye on usage in their dashboard, especially on long live sessions. If you would rather not manage a key at all, the free local Ollama lane has no usage cost, and paid plans will include a hosted lane with no key required (coming soon).
Questions, answered.
Where is my API key stored?
On your machine, with the app. We do not store your key on our servers and never see the text you send to your provider. Billing for that usage is between you and the provider.
Which provider and model should I use?
Any supported provider works. Good current picks are OpenAI (GPT-5.5 or the lighter GPT-5.4 mini), Anthropic (Claude Sonnet 5, or Claude Opus 4.8 for the hardest questions), or OpenRouter if you want one key across many models. Groq is a strong pick when you want very fast responses. Pick based on cost and speed.
Do I even need a key?
No. You can run fully free and offline with Ollama. Paid plans will also include a hosted lane with no key at all (coming soon). A provider key is just the option for people who already have one and want a specific hosted model.
Your key, your provider, your terms.
Or skip keys entirely with free local models; a keyless hosted lane is coming soon.