API Keys and BYOK
BYOK means Bring Your Own Key.
You can add provider API keys in Voicetta when you want your own AI provider account to power selected parts of the agent.
Keys are optional for voice calls. Providers with a Voicetta badge in Agent Settings work out of the box — usage is billed to your Voicetta wallet. Add your own key when you prefer the provider to bill you directly; your key then takes over for that provider.
Why it matters for your business
- Save money: use direct provider billing where it fits your cost model.
- Work faster: switch provider configuration without rebuilding the app.
- Standardize service: keep selected providers consistent across agents.
- Delight every Guest: choose models and voices that match your service quality goals.
Where to configure keys
Open Settings → AI & API keys.
Only add keys for providers you actually plan to use.
Common provider categories
Depending on your workspace, keys may apply to:
- LLMs,
- speech-to-text,
- text-to-speech,
- realtime voice models,
- hosted agent providers.
Billing boundary
If you use your own provider key, that provider may bill you directly and models show as Free (Your Key) in the pickers. Without a key, usage of Voicetta-badged providers is billed to your wallet at the listed rates. Voicetta may still charge wallet-based platform, phone, carrier, or routing fees.
Always review the in-app Billing and Pricing pages before live use.
Exception: SMS and WhatsApp text replies
Text replies on the SMS and WhatsApp channels always require your own LLM key — there is no Voicetta-billed fallback for text channels. Add an LLM key in Settings → AI & API keys before enabling text replies.
Best practices
- Store keys only in the app's secure key fields.
- Do not paste API keys into prompts or documents.
- Test the agent after changing provider keys.
- Remove old keys when rotating credentials.