AI Keys
AI keys let external tools and applications authenticate to your organization's AI providers through the ACTIVATE AI gateway. Requests made with a key are proxied through the platform, where token usage is metered and billed — so programmatic access carries the same governance as the rest of ACTIVATE.
Each key is bound to a budget allocation when it is created. Usage made with the key draws from that allocation, and once the allocation's budget is exhausted, further requests are rejected with a payment-required error before they reach a model. Usage made with a key is tracked on the AI Usage dashboard, where it can be broken down per key.
Managing Keys
AI keys belong to your user account — each user creates and manages their own keys. To manage your keys, navigate to AI > AI Keys in the sidebar.
The page lists each key with its creation date, expiration date, when it was last used, and its allocation, if any. Use the Filter keys field to search the list.
Click Create key to add a new key.
Note
Keys are shown once at creation. Store them in a password manager — once you navigate away, you won't be able to see the key again.
To revoke a key, click the delete icon in its row.
Using a Key with the OpenAI-Compatible API
The gateway exposes an OpenAI-compatible API, so existing SDKs and tools work when pointed at ACTIVATE instead of directly at a vendor. Send requests to the chat completions endpoint at /api/openai/v1/chat/completions, authenticating with an AI key. Model IDs use the format owner:provider-name/model-name.
For step-by-step setup guides for tools like Open WebUI, OpenCode, Kilo Code, and Cursor, see Connect External Tools.
Related Documentation
- AI Providers — Connect the model backends behind the gateway
- AI Usage — Track spend, tokens, and budget allocations
- Chat — Using the chat interface