Using your own API key for notes

By default notes come from a local model and nothing leaves your machine. If you want faster or better notes, you can use a frontier model with your own key. Recordist calls the provider directly from your computer; there is no Recordist server in between.

Set it up

1. Settings → AI notes → Provider: choose Anthropic or OpenAI-compatible.
2. Paste your key. For OpenAI-compatible providers you can also set a base URL, which is how you point Recordist at a self-hosted or third-party endpoint.
3. Pick a model from the list, or type one.
4. Click Test. A tiny request confirms the key works; it is logged in the ledger like any other.

Notes now take about 20 seconds instead of minutes.

Exactly what is sent

For each generation: the transcript text of that one meeting and the template you chose. The audio, your other meetings, your name, your calendar and the ledger are never sent. Each request is written to the Privacy Ledger with the host, byte count and reason. The provider’s own privacy terms apply to what you send them.

Where the key lives

In the operating system keychain (Keychain Access on macOS, Credential Manager on Windows, Secret Service on Linux). It is never written to settings.json, exports, diagnostics or logs.

Mixing local and cloud

You can keep the local model as default and use a cloud model per meeting from the Regenerate menu, or the other way around. Team admins can restrict which providers are allowed through org policy.

Removing the key

Settings → AI notes → Remove key. The keychain entry is deleted and the provider switches back to the built-in engine.