How to Get Your AI API Key and Connect It to Wretify (Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek)

What is an API key, and why does Wretify need one?

An API key is a long, secret password issued by an AI company. It lets an app send requests to that company’s AI on your account, and the company bills your account for what you use.

Wretify works this way on purpose. It is called BYOK — Bring Your Own Key. You choose the AI, you pay the AI company directly at their published prices, and Wretify adds no markup and no AI subscription. The editor, sync, reading and journal work without any key; the key switches on the AI thinking partner and the quick AI tools.

Wretify supports three providers: Anthropic (Claude), Google (Gemini) and DeepSeek. You need only one to start.

Which AI should I choose?

Google Gemini is the only one you can start for free. Google AI Studio has a free tier that needs no card. It also powers Wretify’s quick jobs, such as proofreading, the hard-fact check and tagging what you read.

Claude (Anthropic) and DeepSeek need prepaid credit on your account before the key works. Anthropic sells credits in advance; if they run out, the key stops until you add more. DeepSeek works the same way: an empty balance returns an “Insufficient Balance” error.

A note on privacy with Gemini’s free tier: outside Europe, Google’s terms allow people at Google to read free-tier prompts and use them to improve its products, and Google advises not to send sensitive information. If you live in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK, Google applies its paid-service terms to you even on the free tier, which means your prompts are not used that way.

How do I get a Gemini API key? (free)

You need a Google account. The key is created in Google AI Studio.

1. Go to aistudio.google.com/apikey and sign in with your Google account.
2. Click “Create API key”. If Google asks for a project, accept the default one it offers.
3. Copy the key. Since May 28, 2026, new Gemini keys start with “AQ.”. Older keys start with “AIza”. Wretify accepts both.
4. Keep the key somewhere private until you paste it into Wretify.

How do I get a Claude API key? (Anthropic)

Anthropic’s developer platform lives at platform.claude.com (the old address, console.anthropic.com, forwards there).

1. Go to platform.claude.com and sign in, or create an account.
2. Add credit: Settings → Billing → “Buy credits”. The key does not work on an empty balance.
3. Open Settings → API keys and click “Create key”.
4. Give the key a name (for example “Wretify”) and choose how long it lasts. “Never” means it does not expire.
5. Copy the key now. It starts with “sk-ant-”. Anthropic shows the full key only once — if you lose it, delete it and create a new one.

How do I get a DeepSeek API key?

DeepSeek’s developer platform is at platform.deepseek.com.

1. Go to platform.deepseek.com and sign in, or create an account.
2. Add a balance on the Top up page (platform.deepseek.com/top_up). DeepSeek says top-up balances do not expire.
3. Open the API keys page (platform.deepseek.com/api_keys) and create a new key.
4. Copy the key right away and keep it private.

How do I connect my API key to Wretify on a computer?

The key goes into one place: Power Add-ons, inside Settings.

1. Press Alt+P to open Settings. (Or press Alt+K and choose “Settings”.)
2. Open “Power Add-ons”.
3. In the “Thinking Partner” card, choose your provider: Gemini Pro, DeepSeek or Claude.
4. Paste your key into the field that appears and press Save (or Enter).
5. The card now says “Claude connected”, “DeepSeek connected” or “Gemini Pro connected”. You are ready to write.
6. Optional, and free: open the “Gemini (Free)” card and follow its steps to add a Gemini key for the quick jobs, even if your thinking partner is Claude or DeepSeek.

How do I connect my API key on my phone?

You usually do not need to. A key saved on your computer is copied to your own Google Drive and appears on your phone the next time Wretify opens there.

To add one on the phone itself: open Search, tap the gear (or type “settings”), then use Power Add-ons exactly as on a computer.

Where is my API key stored? Can Wretify see it?

Your key is saved in your browser and in a file in your own Google Drive, Wretify/_keys.json, so it follows you to your other devices.

When you use the AI, your key travels with the request through Wretify’s server to the provider you chose. Wretify does not log or store the key or what you send. To remove a key completely, disconnect it in Power Add-ons and delete that file from your Drive.

How do I keep my API key safe and my costs under control?

Treat the key like a credit card number: anyone who has it can spend your credit. Never paste it into an email, a chat or a support ticket.

Set a limit at the provider. On Anthropic: Settings → Billing → Spend limits. On Google AI Studio: the Spend page → Monthly spend cap. DeepSeek documents no spending cap, so the balance you top up is your limit.

If you think a key has leaked, delete it at the provider and create a new one. On DeepSeek: the API keys page, the bin icon, then “Revoke”.