By default, every content generation on Fexa AI runs on the platform's AI infrastructure and consumes your credits. But if you handle large volumes or already have an account with an AI provider, you can plug in your own API key. That's the principle behind BYOK (Bring Your Own Key).
BYOK in one sentence: on the Agency plan, you enter your Gemini or OpenAI API key, and generation runs on your AI account — so it does not draw down Fexa AI credits.
What is BYOK for?
BYOK answers a specific need: decoupling the cost of AI from your Fexa AI subscription.
- You no longer consume platform credits. When your key is active, each optimisation is billed directly by your provider (Google or OpenAI), not by Fexa AI.
- You stay in control of your provider. You choose the exact model to use among those offered by your provider.
- Ideal for very large catalogues. If you're optimising thousands of pages, running on your own AI quota can be more economical than an equivalent amount of credits.
The rest of Fexa AI is unchanged: same catalog-grounding engine, same prompts fed by your real PrestaShop data (specs, variants, brand, Search Console keywords), same output quality, all in your brand voice. BYOK changes only which key runs the call and how that call is billed.
Which plans unlock BYOK?
BYOK is a feature reserved for the Agency plan (Enterprise).
| Plan | Credits / month | BYOK (dedicated AI key) |
|---|---|---|
| Starter — €39/month | 1,500 | No |
| Growth — €99/month | 5,000 | No |
| Agency — €299/month | 20,000 | Yes |
On the Starter and Growth plans, the BYOK section appears but stays locked: a banner invites you to upgrade to Agency. The restriction is also enforced server-side: saving a key without the Agency plan returns an error. And if you downgrade to a lower plan, the key automatically stops applying — generation then falls back to the platform AI and consumes credits again.
Note: annual billing lowers the price (the discount depends on the plan). BYOK remains tied to the Agency plan, regardless of billing cadence.
Which providers are supported?
Two providers are offered for BYOK:
- Google Gemini — your Google AI key;
- OpenAI — your OpenAI key (GPT models).
Anthropic (Claude) is not offered for BYOK. The provider selector only lists Gemini and OpenAI. If you want Gemini quality without managing a key, note that it is included in your subscription (no key required) — see Initial setup.
Configure your API key step by step
Everything happens in your shop preferences.
- Open Settings from the side menu.
- Go to the Preferences section (AI model choice and personal key).
- Find the "Personal API Key (BYOK)" block.
- Choose the provider in the dropdown: Google Gemini or OpenAI.
- Select the model to use for that provider.
- Paste your API key into the field provided (the field is masked, like a password).
- Click "Save my key".
Once the key is saved, a green banner confirms it is active and shows the provider. The key is never displayed in clear text again: only a masked version (••••••••) is shown. The active model can be changed at any time via the dropdown right below.
Selecting a model that requires a key
In the model selector, models from a provider other than Gemini show a BYOK badge. If you try to select such a model without having saved the matching key, Fexa AI flags it and points you back to the BYOK form. This is expected: an OpenAI model can only run with a valid OpenAI key.
Where and how is your key stored?
Your key's security is treated like that of a sensitive secret.
- Encrypted at rest. Your key is encrypted before being saved to the database (symmetric AES-256-GCM encryption). It is never stored in clear text.
- Never returned to the browser. The API never returns the key (even encrypted) to the client. The interface only shows a mask.
- Decrypted only at call time. The key is decrypted only on the server side, just before being passed to the provider to run the generation.
You can delete your key at any time via the Remove button in the "Key active" banner. If the active model relied on that key, the shop automatically switches back to the platform's default Gemini model.
What happens if the key fails?
Fexa AI is designed so that generation completes anyway, without you having to monitor your provider account.
- Rate limit (429). If your provider returns a rate-limit error, the AI gateway automatically retries with increasing delay before giving up.
- Model unavailable. If the chosen model no longer exists or has been renamed by the provider, the gateway falls back once to the platform's stable Gemini model rather than failing the whole generation.
- Invalid or missing key. Authentication errors surface as-is: if your key is invalid, fix it in the preferences.
In short: BYOK is a cost lever, not a point of fragility. The platform remains able to finish the job.
BYOK and credits: who pays for what?
This is the core benefit of BYOK. The behaviour depends on your key's state:
| Situation | Who runs the AI call | Fexa AI credits charged |
|---|---|---|
| Active BYOK key (Agency, matching provider) | Your AI account | None |
| No key / plan without BYOK | Platform AI | Yes (1 credit / page) |
| Key present but plan downgraded | Platform AI | Yes (key no longer applies) |
As a reminder, 1 credit = one full optimisation (title + metas + short/long descriptions + ALT + FAQ + structured data). To fully understand what a credit covers and how quotas and booster packs work, see the credit system. And to understand how the AI builds each page from your catalogue, see AI generation.
Frequently asked questions
Is BYOK included in every plan?
No. BYOK is reserved for the Agency plan. On Starter and Growth, the section stays locked and invites you to upgrade to Agency.
Can I use my Claude (Anthropic) key?
No. BYOK only accepts Google Gemini and OpenAI. Anthropic is not offered for BYOK.
Do I still consume Fexa AI credits with BYOK?
No, as long as your key is active and its provider matches the generation provider. In that case the optimisation is billed by your AI provider, not in Fexa AI credits.
Is my key safe?
Yes. It is encrypted at rest (AES-256-GCM), never returned to the browser, and decrypted on the server only when running a call. You can delete it at any time.
What happens if my key fails in the middle of a batch?
The AI gateway retries on rate limits and falls back to the platform's stable Gemini model if the requested model is unavailable, so generation can still complete.