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Important: You need an API key from your provider (OpenAI, Mistral, etc.) before they will appear in Alter.

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What’s happening?

You’ve added your API key, but when you press / to see models:
  • The Custom section is empty
  • You don’t see your provider’s models
  • You only see Alter Cloud models

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Common setup mistakes

Even with an API key entered, you need to enable custom providers:
  1. Open Alter Settings (Cmd + ,)
  2. Go to API Keys tab
  3. Find Custom Provider section
  4. Toggle Enable Custom Provider to ON
  5. You should see a ✓ next to “Custom Endpoint”
For most providers: Just paste your API key – the endpoint is automaticFor Azure specifically, you need the full URL:
https://your-instance.openai.azure.com/openai/deployments/your-model-name/chat/completions?api-version=2024-02-15-preview
Make sure your URL includes:
  • Your instance name
  • The deployment name
  • The api-version parameter
Quick checks:
  • Did you copy the full key? (They usually start with sk-)
  • Has the key expired?
  • Do you have billing set up with the provider?
  • Did you accidentally include extra spaces?
Try generating a new key from your provider’s dashboard.

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Quick setup guide

1

Get your API key

2

Enter it in Alter

  1. Settings (Cmd + ,) → API Keys
  2. Select your provider from the dropdown
  3. Paste your key
  4. Toggle Enable Custom Provider ON
3

Check the model selector

  1. Press / in the Alter prompt box
  2. Look for the Custom section
  3. You should see your provider’s models listed

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Verify it’s working

After setup:
  1. Press / to open the model picker
  2. Look for the Custom category
  3. Select one of your custom models
  4. Send a test message
  5. Success: The model responds using your own API key!
Budget tip: Using your own API key means you’re billed directly by the provider. Monitor your usage on their dashboard to avoid surprises!