Bring Your Own Key (BYOK)
Use your own LLM provider API keys with X-Engine for direct billing, custom rate limits, and full cost control.
Use your own LLM provider API keys with X-Engine for direct billing, custom rate limits, and full cost control.
How BYOK Works
When you register your own API key, X-Engine uses it for provider calls instead of the platform key. You pay the provider directly — X-Engine charges only for infrastructure (routing, caching, memory, telemetry).
Your App → X-Engine (routing + intelligence) → Provider (your API key)
↓
Billed to YOUR accountSetup
1. Register a BYOK Provider
curl -X POST https://api.xantly.com/v1/byok/providers \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $XANTLY_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"provider": "openai",
"api_key": "sk-your-openai-key",
"is_active": true,
"priority": 1
}'Supported providers: openai, anthropic, groq, deepseek, nvidia, google.
2. Make Requests as Usual
No changes needed — X-Engine automatically detects and uses your BYOK key:
curl -X POST https://api.xantly.com/v1/chat/completions \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $XANTLY_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"model": "openai/gpt-4o",
"messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}]
}'3. Check Which Key Was Used
Every response includes a cost_attribution field:
{
"xantly_metadata": {
"cost_attribution": "byok",
"provider_used": "openai",
"cost_usd": 0.0023
}
}"cost_attribution": "byok"— your key was used, you pay the provider directly"cost_attribution": "xantly"— platform key was used, billed through X-Engine
Multiple Providers
Register keys for multiple providers to enable intelligent routing across your own accounts:
# Register OpenAI key
curl -X POST https://api.xantly.com/v1/byok/providers \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $XANTLY_API_KEY" \
-d '{"provider": "openai", "api_key": "sk-...", "priority": 1}'
# Register Anthropic key
curl -X POST https://api.xantly.com/v1/byok/providers \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $XANTLY_API_KEY" \
-d '{"provider": "anthropic", "api_key": "sk-ant-...", "priority": 2}'X-Engine's BaRP router selects the optimal model across ALL your registered providers, respecting priority order for cost-equivalent options.
BYOK + Audio/Images/Moderations
BYOK keys also apply to proxy endpoints:
| Endpoint | BYOK Provider |
|---|---|
/v1/audio/transcriptions | OpenAI (Whisper) |
/v1/audio/speech | OpenAI (TTS) |
/v1/images/generations | OpenAI (DALL-E) |
/v1/moderations | OpenAI |
If no BYOK key is registered for OpenAI, the platform key is used as fallback.
Security
- API keys are encrypted at rest (AES-256-GCM)
- Keys are never logged or exposed in responses
- Keys are never visible after creation — only the provider and status are returned
- Rotate keys anytime via
PUT /v1/byok/providers/:id
Cost Savings
With BYOK, you get:
- Direct provider pricing — no markup on token costs
- Volume discounts — your provider tier applies
- Full cost visibility — see exact costs in Mission Control
- Caching savings — X-Engine's semantic cache reduces calls regardless of key source