Core Concepts

What Is BYOK (Bring Your Own Key)?

A model where you provide your own LLM API key (Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.) instead of the platform providing one, giving you full cost control and model choice.

In Plain English

BYOK means you use your own API key from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, or any LLM provider. The platform does not mark up your LLM costs or lock you into a specific provider.

With Clawctl, you bring your own API key and pay the LLM provider directly. This gives you full transparency on AI costs, the ability to switch providers anytime, and no vendor markup on the most expensive part of running AI agents.

Why It Matters for OpenClaw

LLM costs are the largest variable expense when running AI agents. BYOK gives you direct cost control, provider flexibility, and eliminates markup. You also keep your API relationship with the provider — including volume discounts and custom agreements.

How Clawctl Helps

Clawctl is BYOK by design. Add your API key in the setup wizard. Credentials are encrypted at rest with AES-256 and injected at runtime. Switch providers anytime without redeploying.

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Common Questions

Which LLM providers does Clawctl support?

Anthropic (Claude), OpenAI (GPT), Google (Gemini), Grok, OpenRouter, and Ollama for local models.

Is there any markup on LLM costs?

No. You pay the provider directly. Clawctl charges only the platform fee ($49-999/mo).

Can I use multiple providers?

Yes. Configure different models for different agents or use model routing to optimize cost and quality.