Bring your own key: when it’s worth it
Bring your own key is live on vibeside web. The short launch note covered the basics. This is the “should I bother?” version.
When BYOK is worth it
Use it when you care which model answers. Or when you want those sync chat turns on your provider bill instead of vibeside AI budget. Or when you’re testing a setup you already pay for elsewhere and you want it inside a vibeside character chat.
If you’re happy with the default platform model, you can ignore BYOK. It’s a power tool, not a required step.
How to turn it on
Open Settings, go to Chat, then Bring your own key. Turn it on, add a provider, set a model id, paste your key, and hit Test connection if you want a quick check. Save for this session.
While it’s active, that provider overrides the platform model for normal sync chat replies. Those turns don’t pull from your vibeside AI budget. You’re paying the provider directly for the calls.
What we don’t keep
We don’t store your key on our servers. On the web it lives in session memory for that browser tab session. It only goes out when you test the connection or send a chat message that needs it. Close the session and it’s gone.
Limits on purpose
V1 is allowlisted presets only: OpenRouter, OpenAI, and DeepSeek. No custom proxy URLs. BYOK is for sync chat, not live chat. That’s the trade for keeping the surface small and the key handling boring in a good way.
If those limits are fine for your use case, try it today from settings on the web. If you need a custom proxy, this isn’t that tool yet.
When to turn it back off
If you’re done testing, turn BYOK off so you don’t accidentally keep routing through a key you meant to use once. Session-scoped keys are a feature. Treat them that way.
If a provider is down or a model id is wrong, Test connection is your friend. Fix the setup before you blame the character.
What BYOK is not
It’s not a custom proxy workshop. It’s not a way to bypass safety. It’s not required to have a good chat. It’s a clean escape hatch for people who already live with provider keys and want that control inside vibeside web.