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Getting an API key for summaries

A cloud AI provider needs an API key. With one, Daisy writes summaries, answers questions across your meetings, generates chapters, and runs the Analyzer. Transcription is on-device and needs no key. Daisy's built-in AI needs no key either. It needs recent hardware: iPhone 15 Pro or later, or a computer with a graphics card. On iPhone and iPad, the on-device models under Settings › AI provider also need no key.

You only need one of the three cloud providers Daisy supports. Pick whichever you already use:

  • Anthropic (Claude)
  • OpenAI (GPT)
  • Groq — has a free tier, so you can start without a credit card.

Each key lives in your account with your card, billed directly. Daisy never proxies your requests and never sees the bill.

Anthropic (Claude)

  1. Go to console.anthropic.com and sign up. The API console is separate from the claude.ai chat account.
  2. Verify your email and phone number.
  3. Open Settings → Billing and add a credit card. Anthropic gives you a small starting credit so you can try it before you spend.
  4. In the left sidebar, click API Keys, then Create Key.
  5. Give the key a name — for example, Daisy on my laptop.
  6. Copy the key (it starts with sk-ant-…). You won't see it again after you leave that page. Paste it into Daisy now (see below) or store it somewhere safe.

OpenAI

  1. Go to platform.openai.com and sign up. The API platform is separate from chatgpt.com — a ChatGPT Plus subscription doesn't give you API credit.
  2. Verify your email and phone number.
  3. First-time setup may ask you to create an organization — name it whatever you like (your own name is fine).
  4. Open Settings → Billing and add a credit card. A small prepaid top-up (~$5) is enough to unlock the API key for everyday use.
  5. In the left sidebar, click API keys, then Create new secret key. Name it something like Daisy on my laptop.
  6. Copy the key (it starts with sk-proj-…). You won't see it again after you leave that page. Paste it into Daisy now or store it somewhere safe.

Groq

  1. Go to console.groq.com and sign up. Google / GitHub / email all work. No credit card required to start.
  2. In the left sidebar, click API Keys, then Create API Key.
  3. Name it (for example, Daisy on my laptop).
  4. Copy the key (it starts with gsk_…). You won't see it again after you leave that page.
  5. Groq's free tier (as of 2026) covers light personal use; if you exceed it, you can add a card under Settings → Billing.

Add the key to Daisy

  1. Open Daisy, turn on Nerd Mode in Settings → Display, then go to Settings → Providers.
  2. Under AI provider, find the row for the provider whose key you just generated (anthropic, openai, or groq).
  3. Click Configure on that row (or Edit if it's already set up).
  4. Step 1 of 2 — paste the key. Leave Base URL blank to use the default. Click Test key & list models →. Daisy makes one call to the provider to confirm the key works and pulls the list of available models.
  5. Step 2 of 2 — pick a model. Daisy preselects your previously saved model if you have one, otherwise the first model the provider returns. Pick any model from the dropdown, or type a custom model name in the field below it. Click Save.

That's it. If this is your first provider, Daisy also makes it the default, so it writes your next summary. To switch providers later, use Settings → Recordings → AI features → Provider. The key is stored encrypted in your local vault, unlocked automatically on a trusted machine, or with your passphrase if you set one — see Your vault and profile folder.

To remove a key, reopen the editor and click Clear key.

On iPhone and iPad, open Settings › AI provider, pick the provider, paste the key into Key, and tap Use this provider.

Set a budget cap

Once the key is working, hop back to the provider's console and set a monthly spending cap:

  • Anthropic: Console → Settings → Limits → monthly budget + email alert.
  • OpenAI: Platform → Settings → Billing → Limits → monthly budget + notification threshold.
  • Groq: Console → Settings → Billing → Limits → Add Limit. Free tier needs no cap, but set one if you add a card.

Don't want a paid key at all?

You don't have to. In Settings → Recordings → AI features, set Provider to None — copy and paste. The Copy button on a meeting's Transcript tab (and its Summary tab) adds a ready-to-paste prompt you can drop into your own ChatGPT or Claude chat. Paste the summary back into the box on the meeting's Summary tab and click Save summary. This mode is on the desktop app.

Daisy's built-in AI needs no key at all, and a keyless local AI server (LM Studio or Ollama) is another option — see Running Daisy fully offline for both paths.