# Setting up AI

Connect an AI provider to unlock the assistant, prompts, AI rules, and instructions. There are two ways to do it: **Missive AI credits** (pay Missive, no API key needed) or **bring your own key** (pay the provider directly). See [the full comparison](https://missiveapp.com/docs/overview#two-ways-to-connect) in the overview.

{% hint style="info" %}
Only **organization admins** can add or manage AI providers. All providers are linked to the organization, not a single user.
{% endhint %}

## Option 1: Missive AI credits

Organizations on the **Productive** or **Business** plan start with **$5 of free Missive AI credits**. The balance works across every supported provider, so $5 can be spent on OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, or any mix.

1. Go to **Settings** > **AI**.
2. Click **Add provider** and pick **Missive credits** for OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google.
3. Start using AI features. Usage draws from your credit balance.

Organization admins receive an email when the balance runs low. When the balance hits $0, AI features stop working until an admin tops up from **Settings** > **AI** > **Buy AI credits**.

{% hint style="info" %}
Missive AI credits include a **25% markup** on the provider's price. If that's a concern, use bring your own key instead.
{% endhint %}

## Option 2: Bring your own API key

Create an API key with the provider and paste it into Missive. Usage bills directly to your provider account at the provider's price, with no markup. BYOK also unlocks provider-side features that Missive AI credits don't expose, like OpenAI's EU data residency.

| Provider             | Setup guide                                                         |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **OpenAI**           | [Connect OpenAI](https://missiveapp.com/docs/ai/setup/openai)       |
| **Anthropic Claude** | [Connect Anthropic](https://missiveapp.com/docs/ai/setup/anthropic) |
| **Google Gemini**    | [Connect Gemini](https://missiveapp.com/docs/ai/setup/gemini)       |

## Mixing credits and BYOK

You can run Missive AI credits and BYOK side by side. Add one of each, and when you pick a model in the assistant you'll see models from both -- pick whichever you want per conversation, prompt, or rule.

## Controlling who can use a provider

Providers are added at the organization level, but access inside the organization is up to the admin. For each provider, you can share it with the whole organization, a specific team, a few users, or a single user. Adjust sharing at any time from **Settings** > **AI**.

## Using multiple providers

You can connect multiple providers at the same time. Once connected:

* The assistant lets you pick which model to use per conversation.
* Prompts can be configured to use a specific provider and model.
* AI rules let you select a model per rule.

{% hint style="info" %}
Connecting multiple providers gives your team flexibility. Use a fast, cheap model for simple tasks and a more powerful model when you need deeper reasoning.
{% endhint %}


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