BibGenie DocsBring Your Own Key
Use your own API key or local model, and understand BYOK data flow and privacy boundaries.
BYOK means Bring Your Own Key. It lets you use your own model provider, API key, or local model with BibGenie.
Why Use BYOK?
Control data flow
Custom model requests go directly from the local Zotero plugin to the provider you configure.
Use local models
Run models on your own machine with Ollama or LM Studio.
Avoid BibGenie credit usage
BYOK requests do not use BibGenie's official model service, so they do not consume BibGenie credits.
Access more models
Use models that are not currently included in the official list.
Does Data Pass Through BibGenie's Service?
If you add a custom model, request data does not go through BibGenie's model service. The local Zotero plugin sends requests directly to the provider you configure.
That means:
- OpenAI API key: requests go directly to OpenAI.
- Anthropic API key: requests go directly to Anthropic.
- OpenAI-compatible proxy: requests go to the Base URL you enter.
- Ollama or LM Studio: requests can stay entirely on your machine.
Third-party providers still receive data
BYOK bypasses BibGenie's model service, but cloud providers still receive the content you send to them. Choose providers according to your institution, lab, or project data policy.
Supported Providers
BibGenie supports multiple provider types:
| Provider | Notes |
|---|---|
| OpenAI | OpenAI GPT models |
| Anthropic | Claude models |
| xAI | Grok models |
| DeepSeek | DeepSeek models |
| Gemini models | |
| Groq | Groq-hosted models |
| Moonshot AI | Kimi models |
| OpenRouter | Unified model routing platform |
| Ollama | Local model service |
| OpenAI Compatible | Any OpenAI-compatible API |
LM Studio is usually configured through OpenAI Compatible.
When BYOK Is a Good Fit
- You already have a provider API key.
- You want provider billing to happen through your own account.
- You need to use an institutional model service.
- You want requests to bypass BibGenie's official model service.
- You want to process sensitive material with a local model.
- You need a model that is not in the official list yet.
Next Step
Read Custom Models to add a provider, enter the Base URL and API key, and test the connection.