Who This Article Is For #
Some PitchResponse plans include Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) access. If your plan includes this feature, you can connect your own API keys from OpenAI or Anthropic and use your preferred AI provider to power AI-Assisted Pitching, rather than relying on a shared quota.
Not sure if your plan includes BYOK access? Check under Admin > Billing or reach out via the contact page.
Only the account owner can add or manage API keys in AI Settings.
If your plan does not include BYOK access, this article doesn’t apply to you. AI access is handled automatically based on your plan. See AI-Assisted Pitching for general feature documentation.
How It Works #
When you connect your own API keys, PitchResponse uses your chosen AI provider and model to generate pitch drafts. You’re billed directly by the provider (OpenAI or Anthropic) for the API calls made. PitchResponse doesn’t charge you separately for AI usage, and there’s no quota or usage cap on our end. You use as much as your API account allows.
Currently supported providers:
- OpenAI (e.g. GPT-4o)
- Anthropic (Claude)
Getting to AI Settings #
AI Settings is only visible to account owners.
- Log in to PitchResponse
- In the left sidebar, go to Admin > AI Settings
You’ll see sections for each supported AI provider, plus a Preferences section at the bottom where you choose your active provider and model.
Adding Your OpenAI API Key #
- In Admin > AI Settings, find the OpenAI section
- Paste your OpenAI API key into the key field. Your key should begin with
sk- - Click Validate and Save
PitchResponse will check the format of your key and then make a live validation call to OpenAI to confirm it’s active. This validation makes a minimal API call that costs a fraction of a cent on your OpenAI account.
Once saved, you’ll see a Key saved confirmation. Your key is masked in the interface, with only the last few characters visible.
To get an OpenAI API key, visit platform.openai.com and generate one under your account’s API Keys section.
Adding Your Anthropic (Claude) API Key #
- In Admin > AI Settings, find the Anthropic (Claude) section
- Paste your Anthropic API key into the key field. Your key should begin with
sk-ant- - Click Validate and Save
As with OpenAI, PitchResponse will validate the key format and make a live check against Anthropic’s API before saving. The validation call costs a fraction of a cent on your Anthropic account.
Once saved, you’ll see a Key saved confirmation and the Anthropic (Claude) option will become available as an Active Provider in the Preferences section below.
To get an Anthropic API key, visit console.anthropic.com and generate one under your account’s API Keys section.
Setting Your Active Provider and Model #
Once you’ve saved at least one API key, you can choose which provider and model PitchResponse uses to generate your pitch drafts.
- Scroll to the Preferences section in Admin > AI Settings
- Under Active Provider, select either OpenAI or Anthropic (Claude). Note that Anthropic will only be selectable once you’ve saved a valid Claude API key.
- If you’ve selected OpenAI, choose your preferred model from the OpenAI Model dropdown (e.g. GPT-4o, which is the most capable option)
- Click Save Preferences
Your selected provider and model will be used for all AI-Assisted Pitching features going forward.
Security and Privacy #
Your API keys are handled with the following protections:
- Encrypted at rest: keys are stored in encrypted form and never saved in plaintext
- Never transmitted back to your browser: once saved, your full key is not accessible via the interface. Only a masked version is shown.
- Validated server-side: key validation happens on our server, not in your browser
You can remove a saved key at any time by clicking the Remove button next to it in AI Settings. If you remove your only saved key, AI-Assisted Pitching will be unavailable until you add a new one.
Usage and Billing #
When you use AI-Assisted Pitching with your own API keys:
- You are billed directly by the provider (OpenAI or Anthropic) for each API call made. PitchResponse does not charge you separately for AI usage.
- Usage is tied to your API account. You can monitor usage and set spending limits directly in your OpenAI or Anthropic dashboard.
- There is no usage cap on PitchResponse’s end. You can generate as many pitch drafts as your API account allows.
The cost per pitch draft is typically very small, usually a fraction of a cent per generation depending on the model and length of the output. Check your provider’s current pricing for specifics:
- OpenAI pricing: openai.com/pricing
- Anthropic pricing: anthropic.com/pricing
Frequently Asked Questions #
Do I need to add both OpenAI and Anthropic keys? No. You only need one. Add the key for whichever provider you prefer and set it as your Active Provider. You can add both if you want the flexibility to switch between them.
What happens if my API key runs out of credits or is revoked? AI-Assisted Pitching will stop working until you add a valid key. You’ll likely see an error when trying to generate a draft. Go to Admin > AI Settings, remove the old key, and add a new one.
Can team members or users on my account see my API keys? No. API keys are only visible in masked form to the account owner. Other users on your account cannot access AI Settings.
Which model should I choose? For the best pitch quality, we recommend using the most capable model available for your chosen provider, such as GPT-4o for OpenAI or the latest Claude model for Anthropic. More capable models produce better drafts, at a slightly higher per-call cost.
Will PitchResponse ever use my API key for anything other than generating pitch drafts? No. Your API key is only used to power AI features within PitchResponse, specifically AI-Assisted Pitching. It is not used for any other purpose.
I saved a key but the Anthropic option is still greyed out in Preferences. Make sure you clicked Validate and Save and saw the Key saved confirmation. If the key failed validation, it won’t be saved and the option won’t unlock. Double-check that you’ve copied the full key correctly from your Anthropic console and try again.
I don’t think my plan includes BYOK access. How do I find out? Check under Admin > Billing to review what your plan includes, or visit the Pricing page to compare plans. If you’re still not sure, reach out via the contact page and we’ll help you out.