Skip to main content
KeyRing Docs
Documentation/API Settings

API Settings

Manage license state, provider API keys, default models, provider activation, and desktop updates from the API Settings module.

Read time: 9 min read

What API Settings Controls

API Settings is KeyRing's credential, license, model-selection, and update control center. This is the module that determines which providers have saved API keys, which default model each provider uses, whether your license is installed and validated, and whether a desktop update is ready to install.

Draft-based save model

API Settings behaves like a staged editor. Changes are made in the UI first, then persisted only when you click Save Changes.
KeyRing AI API Settings module
The API Settings module combines license status, provider cards, model selection, and update controls in one modal.

How to Open It

1

Open the desktop workspace

Launch the main KeyRing AI desktop app.

2

Click API Settings

Use the API Settings button in the module area.

3

Review the API Configuration modal

The modal opens with license controls, update controls, and the provider card grid.

What You See When It Opens

  • Top action bar with Save Changes and Close
  • Basic-plan notice when your license tier restricts providers
  • License Key section for install, validation, and removal
  • Updates & About section for checking and installing desktop updates
  • One provider card per supported provider

When you have pending edits, the modal title changes to indicate unsaved changes.

License Key Section

The License Key panel is the top-most settings block. It includes the license input, validation controls, show/hide behavior, and staged removal controls.

1

Expand License Key if needed

Open the panel if it is collapsed.

2

Paste the license key

Enter the KeyRing license key into the input field.

3

Click Validate

Validation checks the key, but does not persist it yet.

4

Review the validation result

Check the status, tier, machine binding, dates, and entitlement state if shown.

5

Click Save Changes

The license key is only installed when you save the draft.

Validate is not save

Clicking Validate checks the key, but it does not persist the key by itself. You still need to click Save Changes.

Provider Cards

Below the update section, KeyRing shows one card per provider. Each card is the place where you add the provider key, choose the default model, and control whether the provider is available to the rest of the app.

  • Provider name and dashboard link
  • Active toggle
  • API Key field
  • Show / hide key button
  • Provider status indicator
  • Remove Saved Key or Undo Remove
  • Model dropdown

If a provider exposes a dashboard URL, the card title area is rendered as Add tokens for Provider ->, which opens the provider's external dashboard.

Supported Providers

KeyRing AI supports 11 providers in the desktop runtime. Each card below links to the provider's official portal where you create your account, set up billing, and generate an API key.

OpenAI logoOpenAI
Claude (Anthropic) logoClaude (Anthropic)
Gemini (Google) logoGemini (Google)
Mistral logoMistral
Groq logoGroq
xAI (Grok) logoxAI (Grok)
Cohere logoCohere
DeepSeek logoDeepSeek
Together logoTogether
Perplexity logoPerplexity
ElevenLabs logoElevenLabs

Configure a Provider

If you are new to KeyRing AI, start with API Keys Made Easy for a beginner-friendly walkthrough. Otherwise, the setup flow is:

1

Open API Settings

This is the module where provider cards, license status, key inputs, selected models, and save actions live.

2

Use the provider card link

Each provider card includes a link that opens that provider's token, billing, or key-management page.

3

Create the account, billing setup, and API key

Some providers let you create a key before billing is active. Others require billing before the API becomes useful.

4

Paste the key and save

After you save, the desktop runtime has the provider credential it needs for later calls from your machine.

5

Choose a model and activate the provider

Saving a key is only part of readiness. The selected model must exist for that provider and your current account access.

Provider status is shown on the card as Missing, Configured, or Active based on whether a key exists and whether the provider is enabled.

Provider Portal Links

Each card below opens the provider's official portal. Create what you need there, then return to KeyRing AI and save the resulting API key on the matching provider card.

OpenAI logoOpenAI

Dashboard
1

Open the official provider portal

Sign in or create the account for OpenAI, then review the provider's API and billing section.

2

Create a new API key

Generate a fresh key for desktop use, copy it securely, and avoid reusing screenshots or shared notes to store it.

3

Return to KeyRing and save it on the matching provider card

After saving, confirm the selected model is valid and that the provider is actually active in your current workspace.

Claude (Anthropic) logoClaude (Anthropic)

Dashboard
1

Open the official provider portal

Sign in or create the account for Claude (Anthropic), then review the provider's API and billing section.

2

Create a new API key

Generate a fresh key for desktop use, copy it securely, and avoid reusing screenshots or shared notes to store it.

3

Return to KeyRing and save it on the matching provider card

After saving, confirm the selected model is valid and that the provider is actually active in your current workspace.

Gemini (Google) logoGemini (Google)

Dashboard
1

Open the official provider portal

Sign in or create the account for Gemini (Google), then review the provider's API and billing section.

2

Create a new API key

Generate a fresh key for desktop use, copy it securely, and avoid reusing screenshots or shared notes to store it.

3

Return to KeyRing and save it on the matching provider card

After saving, confirm the selected model is valid and that the provider is actually active in your current workspace.

Mistral logoMistral

Dashboard
1

Open the official provider portal

Sign in or create the account for Mistral, then review the provider's API and billing section.

2

Create a new API key

Generate a fresh key for desktop use, copy it securely, and avoid reusing screenshots or shared notes to store it.

3

Return to KeyRing and save it on the matching provider card

After saving, confirm the selected model is valid and that the provider is actually active in your current workspace.

Groq logoGroq

Dashboard
1

Open the official provider portal

Sign in or create the account for Groq, then review the provider's API and billing section.

2

Create a new API key

Generate a fresh key for desktop use, copy it securely, and avoid reusing screenshots or shared notes to store it.

3

Return to KeyRing and save it on the matching provider card

After saving, confirm the selected model is valid and that the provider is actually active in your current workspace.

xAI (Grok) logoxAI (Grok)

Dashboard
1

Open the official provider portal

Sign in or create the account for xAI (Grok), then review the provider's API and billing section.

2

Create a new API key

Generate a fresh key for desktop use, copy it securely, and avoid reusing screenshots or shared notes to store it.

3

Return to KeyRing and save it on the matching provider card

After saving, confirm the selected model is valid and that the provider is actually active in your current workspace.

Cohere logoCohere

Dashboard
1

Open the official provider portal

Sign in or create the account for Cohere, then review the provider's API and billing section.

2

Create a new API key

Generate a fresh key for desktop use, copy it securely, and avoid reusing screenshots or shared notes to store it.

3

Return to KeyRing and save it on the matching provider card

After saving, confirm the selected model is valid and that the provider is actually active in your current workspace.

DeepSeek logoDeepSeek

Dashboard
1

Open the official provider portal

Sign in or create the account for DeepSeek, then review the provider's API and billing section.

2

Create a new API key

Generate a fresh key for desktop use, copy it securely, and avoid reusing screenshots or shared notes to store it.

3

Return to KeyRing and save it on the matching provider card

After saving, confirm the selected model is valid and that the provider is actually active in your current workspace.

Together logoTogether

Dashboard
1

Open the official provider portal

Sign in or create the account for Together, then review the provider's API and billing section.

2

Create a new API key

Generate a fresh key for desktop use, copy it securely, and avoid reusing screenshots or shared notes to store it.

3

Return to KeyRing and save it on the matching provider card

After saving, confirm the selected model is valid and that the provider is actually active in your current workspace.

Perplexity logoPerplexity

Dashboard
1

Open the official provider portal

Sign in or create the account for Perplexity, then review the provider's API and billing section.

2

Create a new API key

Generate a fresh key for desktop use, copy it securely, and avoid reusing screenshots or shared notes to store it.

3

Return to KeyRing and save it on the matching provider card

After saving, confirm the selected model is valid and that the provider is actually active in your current workspace.

ElevenLabs logoElevenLabs

Dashboard
1

Open the official provider portal

Sign in or create the account for ElevenLabs, then review the provider's API and billing section.

2

Create a new API key

Generate a fresh key for desktop use, copy it securely, and avoid reusing screenshots or shared notes to store it.

3

Return to KeyRing and save it on the matching provider card

After saving, confirm the selected model is valid and that the provider is actually active in your current workspace.

Local Security Model

Local-first runtime

Provider requests are sent from the desktop app using your own API credentials.

Per-provider control

Each provider keeps its own key, selected model, and active or inactive state.

No shared relay

KeyRing does not proxy your prompts through a central app server for normal provider usage.

Activation and Model Rules

  • A provider cannot be meaningfully active without a usable key.
  • Providers outside your current plan are blocked at activation time in the UI.
  • Model selection is saved per provider.
  • If the backend applies a model fallback instead of your exact selection, the save flow can return a model fallback warning.

Remove a Saved Key

Provider and license removals are staged. Clicking Remove Saved Key does not immediately delete the stored secret.

  • The card switches into a pending-removal state.
  • The action changes to Undo Remove.
  • The actual deletion only happens after you click Save Changes.

Updates and About

API Settings also contains the desktop update controls. This is where you check for updates and install them once a package is ready.

  • Check for Updates
  • Install & Restart
  • Retry Install when the previous install failed

The section can show states such as up to date, checking, downloading, ready, installing, blocked pending install, or failed. A progress bar appears during download or installation.

Recommended Setup Workflow

  1. Install or validate your license first.
  2. Add API keys for the providers you actually plan to use.
  3. Choose the correct model on each provider card.
  4. Turn on only the providers you want active in the app.
  5. Click Save Changes.
  6. Return to the main workspace and confirm the provider set looks correct.

Configured vs Active

There are two different ideas to keep straight:

  • Configured provider: the provider card has a saved key and selected model.
  • Active provider: the provider is currently enabled for the main workspace or active workflow.

Configured is not the same as active

Users often save a key and assume the provider will automatically participate everywhere. In practice, provider activation still depends on the current control surface and module context.

Verify Provider Readiness

A provider is operational only when all of these are true:

text
1) A valid API key is saved in API Settings
2) The provider is permitted by your current license tier
3) A working model is selected for that provider
4) The provider is active in the desktop controls
5) The provider account itself has working API access and billing

Troubleshooting

Common provider problems

  • 401 or auth error: Regenerate the key and save it again in API Settings.
  • Provider appears unavailable: Confirm the provider is allowed by your plan and license.
  • Selected model does not work: Your provider account may not have access to that specific model.
  • Provider saves but still fails later: Check billing, credit balance, quota, or provider-side API status.

After provider setup is complete, continue with Chatroom & Multi-Model Querying or Roundtable Workflows.