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For adminsSetup & configurationBring your own AI key

Bring your own AI key

Run CartonCrew’s AI features on your own provider account instead of the ChAImp-funded allowance. You pick a provider from ChAImp’s vetted list, paste your API key once, and CartonCrew uses it for every AI call your tenant makes. Your key is stored write-only in a secure vault — nobody, including ChAImp staff, can read it back out.

Who this is for: the Owner only. The Owner picks the provider and model, and saves, tests, rotates or removes a key. Settings → Organization → AI shows everyone else “Owner only: only the Owner can turn AI on or off, choose the provider and model, and set the AI key. Ask the Owner to set this up.” — an Admin, a ChAImp support session, an Editor, a Viewer or a gallery role cannot choose a provider or touch the key.

Pro-bono organizations don’t bring a key. Where ChAImp provides AI at no cost, Settings → Organization → AI says “ChAImp provides AI to your organization at no cost.” and shows no provider list, no model and no key entry — ChAImp runs your AI features on its own account and pays for them. The AI features switch still turns AI on or off. If a provider, model or key is sent anyway, CartonCrew refuses it and says why.

A key saved before your organization became pro-bono is not used. ChAImp pays for every AI call, the AI usage & spend card reports ChAImp as the one paying, and ChAImp’s own records say the same. The key is not deleted for you: the pro-bono panel says a key is still stored and offers Remove key, which the Owner can click to delete it.

Do you need this?

No — AI works out of the box. Pro-bono organizations get AI from ChAImp at no cost. Pro and Complete plans include a monthly AI allowance funded by ChAImp, with no key to supply. Bring your own key when you want AI usage on your own account and budget, or you’ve used up the monthly allowance and don’t want to wait for the reset.

While a key is configured it is used for every AI call, not only after the allowance runs out. Your key, your provider, your bill — the ChAImp allowance is untouched and sits unused until you remove the key. The AI usage & spend card says so rather than showing you an allowance that is not being spent.

Steps

  1. Open Settings → Organization → AI.
  2. Under Provider (vetted registry), pick your provider. Only providers ChAImp has vetted appear here — an unvetted provider can’t be selected or saved.
  3. Pick a Model (the list suggests known models; after a successful test connection it shows the models discovered on your account).
  4. In the Your own API key card, paste your key.
    • If your provider shows an amber warning, read it before continuing. For example, Google Gemini’s free tier: “Free-tier data may train models; paid tier required. Human reviewers may read it.” Use a paid-tier key for anything involving real supporter data.
  5. Anthropic only — Workspace ID. Leave this blank unless your key is identity-linked (created against your own login rather than inside a workspace). Those keys carry no workspace of their own, and Anthropic rejects them without one. Paste the workspace id from the Anthropic Console URL for your workspace. A key minted inside a workspace needs nothing here.
  6. Click Test connection. You’ll get a green confirmation (with any capability notes, e.g. features that need structured output) or a red explanation of what failed.
  7. Click Save key. The status line changes to “A key is currently configured.” — that yes/no status is all anyone can ever see of it.

Rotating or removing your key

  • Rotate: paste the new key into Replace API key and click Rotate key. The old key stops being used immediately; there’s no need to remove it first.
  • Remove: click Remove key. AI calls return to the ChAImp-funded allowance where your plan includes one.

How your key is protected

  • The key is written to an isolated secure vault and used only at the moment of each AI call. There is no way to read it back — not in the app, not in the API, not for ChAImp staff.
  • CartonCrew’s database stores only a single yes/no fact: a key is configured.
  • Removing the key leaves nothing usable behind.

Common issues

  • The AI tab shows only “Owner only: only the Owner can turn AI on or off …” — you’re signed in as an Admin, a ChAImp support session, an Editor, a Viewer or a gallery role. Ask your organization’s Owner.
  • There is no provider list or key entry, only “ChAImp provides AI to your organization at no cost” — your organization is pro-bono. There is nothing to set up: ChAImp pays for your AI. Use the AI features switch to turn it on or off.
  • My provider isn’t in the list — only vetted providers are offered, and the list is maintained centrally by ChAImp. If you need one that isn’t there, contact ChAImp — vetting new providers is a standard request.
  • Test connection fails with a valid key — check the key is for the provider you selected, isn’t IP-restricted, and has API access enabled on your account. The red box states the provider’s actual error.
  • Anthropic says anthropic-workspace-id is required — your key is identity-linked. Fill in Workspace ID (step 5) with the workspace id from your Anthropic Console URL and test again. Alternatively, mint a new key from inside a workspace, which needs no workspace id at all.
  • AI stopped working after I removed my key — if your plan has no ChAImp-funded allowance (or it’s used up), there’s nothing to fall back to until the monthly reset or an upgrade.

Last updated: 2026-09-24 · Applies to: CartonCrew v1.288+ (Workspace ID: v1.367+)

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