DocsAccount & billing
Model keys (BYOK)
The Engine runs Cariara's AI on your own model keys: 14 providers, from Anthropic, Google Gemini and OpenAI to Azure OpenAI and AWS Bedrock. Which key runs what, how to add them, what is billed where.
What the Engine is
The Engine (BYOK, bring your own key) opens everything the CoPilot opens, but its AI runs on model keys you own. Your provider bills you for what you use; Cariara bills only the plan. It includes no Cariara Live AI minutes. Buy a 60-minute top-up if you also want AI on Cariara's keys.
Keys are used only while your account holds a live Engine plan, including its free trial. On any other plan, saved keys sit unused and AI runs on Cariara's keys and minutes.
Providers
Keys are added only on the Engine. Without it, Account → Model keys lists the providers read-only with Get the Engine.
| Provider | Group | What you enter |
|---|---|---|
| Google Gemini | Core | API key |
| Anthropic | Core | API key |
| OpenAI | Core | API key |
| Mistral | More models | API key |
| Groq | More models | API key |
| Together AI | More models | API key |
| Fireworks AI | More models | API key |
| OpenRouter | More models | API key |
| xAI | More models | API key |
| DeepSeek | More models | API key |
| Cohere | More models | API key |
| Perplexity | More models | API key |
| Azure OpenAI | Your cloud | Endpoint, API key, API version, deployment names |
| AWS Bedrock | Your cloud | Access key ID, secret access key, region |
The core three run the features in the next table. A key from any provider lists the models it can run under Models, and Use for picks which one runs Coding, Answers and Helpers first.
Which key runs what
An OpenAI key and a Gemini key together run every feature. OpenAI alone runs everything except Gemini's document and web search, which fall back to keyword search; Live interview audio needs OpenAI. An Anthropic key gives the best coding answers.
| Feature | Runs on, in order | Without that key |
|---|---|---|
| Live answers: behavioral, system design, Ask | Google Gemini, then OpenAI, then Anthropic | Off |
| Coding answers: Coding tab, CoFix, coding questions in Ask | Anthropic, then OpenAI, then Google Gemini | Off |
| Interview audio (live transcription) | OpenAI | Live audio is off |
| Coding tab: fix, translate, read a screenshot | Google Gemini, then OpenAI, then Anthropic | Off |
| Prep: solver, analyze, fix, quizzes, resumes, job analysis, Cara, Problem Library AI search, Workspace coach | Google Gemini, then OpenAI | Off |
| Stories, resume tailoring, company context | Google Gemini, then OpenAI | Off |
| Architecture diagrams in Prep | Google Gemini, then OpenAI | Prep runs without diagrams |
| Document search over your Prep Kit | Google Gemini | Keyword search only |
| Web search in Ask | Google Gemini | Answers without web search |
| Daily job-alert ranking | Google Gemini | Jobs listed newest first |
When a feature can run on more than one provider, it tries them in the order shown and skips any you have no key for.
Add, test and remove keys
- Create a key with your provider: Anthropic Console, Google AI Studio, the OpenAI platform, or the console of any provider above. For Azure OpenAI and AWS Bedrock, use credentials limited to model calls.
- Open Account → Model keys, paste it and press Save. For More models and Your cloud, press Add on the provider first. Cariara checks the key with the provider before storing it; a rejected key is not saved.
- Test checks a saved key again. Save a new key over a saved one to replace it. Remove deletes it; AI that needs it stops until you add one again.
Set a spending limit with your provider. Cariara never caps or pauses AI on your own keys.
Never on Cariara's keys
On the Engine, an AI request runs on your key for that provider or not at all. It never falls back to Cariara's keys, including for work that runs after the page answers: diagrams, document indexing and job-alert emails all use your keys.
- Turned off on the Engine: streaming transcription and Cohere result reranking run only on Cariara's keys, so the Engine uses Whisper on your OpenAI key and standard ranking instead.
- Paid by your top-ups: voice dictation in Ask runs on Cariara's speech service and draws top-up minutes, if you have any.
Usage and billing
- Subscription & usage lists this month's requests and tokens on your keys, by provider, to match against your provider's bill.
- Requests on your keys draw no Cariara minutes. The header shows Own keys instead of minutes left.
- Top-up minutes you buy stay usable on Cariara's keys and never expire. See Top-ups & AI time.
How keys are stored
- Encrypted with AES-256-GCM, bound to your account and the provider, so a stored key cannot be read for anyone else.
- Only the last four characters are ever shown back. The full key is decrypted only for your own AI requests.
- Removing a key, or deleting your account, deletes it.
Troubleshooting
- “Add your … key in Account → Model keys”: the feature needs a provider you have no key for. Add that key, or one from the table above.
- The provider rejected this key: the key is wrong, revoked, or the project has no billing set up.
- Provider unreachable: the provider did not answer the check. Try again in a minute.
- Answers stop mid-session: your provider's quota or spending limit was reached. Raise it with the provider.
Need help?