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Connect an AI provider and add your API key

What it is

AI SEO & GEO Assistant generates your SEO titles, meta descriptions, focus keyphrases, AI Search Context and image alt-text by calling a large-language-model provider. In "bring your own key" (BYOK) mode you connect that provider yourself by pasting an API key you create on the provider's website. The plugin then talks directly to the provider from your own site, and you pay the provider for the tokens you use (typically cents for hundreds of pages).

You can connect more than one provider at once. AISA picks which one to use based on your Default provider setting (or "Auto"), and you can even dedicate a separate provider just for images.

Where to find it

In wp-admin, go to the AISA menu → Settings → API Keys tab. Each supported provider has its own card with a key field, an enable toggle, a model selector and a Test connection button. The current default provider is chosen from the dropdown at the top of the same tab.

Requirements & tier

  • Works on Free and Premium (Solo/Pro/Agency/Studio) tiers, which both use your own key and count tokens.
  • An account with at least one supported provider: DeepSeek, OpenAI (ChatGPT), Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, Mistral, xAI Grok or Perplexity.
  • Some providers require a small prepaid balance (for example OpenAI needs a few dollars of credit before the key works).
  • A Brand Context business description must be filled in (Settings → Brand Context & Style) before generation is allowed — this is what makes the output tailored to you.
  • If you are on AISA Cloud you do not add a key at all: generation runs through our server and is counted in credits. See the related BYOK vs Cloud article.

How to use

  1. Create an account on a provider and open its API keys page (each card in AISA links straight to it).
  2. Click "Create API key" on the provider and copy the key immediately — most providers show it only once.
  3. In AISA → Settings → API Keys, paste the key into that provider's field.
  4. Pick a model from the provider's dropdown (the recommended default is pre-selected) and make sure the provider's enable toggle is on.
  5. Click Test connection. A green result means the key works; an error tells you what is wrong (bad key, no balance, provider blocked).
  6. Save. Optionally set this provider as the Default provider at the top, or leave it on "Auto".
  7. Open any post and use the floating AISA panel, or run 1-Click SEO, to generate with the connected provider.

Questions people ask

  • Where are my keys stored? Only in your site's own database. AISA never sends them anywhere except to the provider you chose, and they are excluded by default from Settings export/import.
  • Do I need a key for every provider? No. One working provider is enough. Add more only if you want choice, a dedicated image provider, or extra parallel capacity.
  • The Test connection button fails — why? The most common causes are a mistyped/expired key, no prepaid balance (OpenAI), or the provider toggle being off. The error message names the cause.
  • Can I use this on a local or staging site? Yes. With your own key AISA works perfectly on localhost/staging — you can optimise the whole site before it goes live, which cloud-AI plugins cannot do.
  • Which provider should I pick first? For lowest cost on bulk text, DeepSeek. For best writing quality, Claude. See the "Supported AI providers and which one to choose" article.
  • Will adding a key replace my SEO plugin? No. AISA writes into Yoast/Rank Math/SEOPress/AIOSEO fields (or emits meta itself if none is installed). The key only powers the AI generation.

Troubleshooting

If generation is blocked, first check that you filled in the Brand Context business description — without it generation is intentionally disabled. If Test connection returns "API error", re-copy the key (watch for leading/trailing spaces) and confirm the provider account has billing/balance enabled. If a saved key field is empty after saving, the provider is automatically disabled — paste the key again. A 429/503/529 response means the provider rate-limited you; lower AISA Turbo speed or add more keys to the multi-key pool. If you removed a key on purpose, the provider toggle switches off by design.

Related

  • Supported AI providers and which one to choose
  • Choosing the model and understanding costs
  • The "Auto" provider option
  • Bring your own key (BYOK) vs AISA Cloud credits

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