> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://opencompress.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# BYOK Mode

> Bring Your Own Key — use your existing LLM API key with OpenCompress.

## What is BYOK?

**Bring Your Own Key (BYOK)** mode lets you use your existing API key from any LLM provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.) while still getting OpenCompress's compression benefits.

## How it works

```
Your App → OpenCompress (compress) → Your Provider (with your key) → Response
```

In BYOK mode:

1. Your prompts are compressed by OpenCompress
2. The compressed request is forwarded to **your provider** using **your API key**
3. You pay your provider directly at their rates
4. OpenCompress charges **only 20% of the savings** as a fee

## Setup

When creating an API key in the [dashboard](https://www.opencompress.ai/dashboard), select **BYOK mode** and provide:

| Field             | Description                  | Example                     |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------- | --------------------------- |
| Upstream Base URL | Your provider's API base URL | `https://api.openai.com/v1` |
| Upstream API Key  | Your provider's API key      | `sk-...`                    |

## Pricing comparison

|                   | Router Mode                   | BYOK Mode           |
| ----------------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------- |
| Who pays the LLM? | OpenCompress (via OpenRouter) | You (your provider) |
| LLM cost          | Included in your charge       | You pay directly    |
| Compression fee   | 20% of savings                | 20% of savings      |
| Total you pay us  | LLM cost + fee                | Fee only            |

<Tip>
  BYOK is ideal if you already have negotiated rates, enterprise agreements, or credits with an LLM provider. You get compression savings on top of your existing deal.
</Tip>

## Supported providers

Any OpenAI-compatible API endpoint works with BYOK:

| Provider              | Base URL                                                                  |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| OpenAI                | `https://api.openai.com/v1`                                               |
| Anthropic (via proxy) | Anthropic's OpenAI-compatible endpoint                                    |
| Azure OpenAI          | `https://your-resource.openai.azure.com/openai/deployments/your-model/v1` |
| Together AI           | `https://api.together.xyz/v1`                                             |
| Groq                  | `https://api.groq.com/openai/v1`                                          |
| Any OpenAI-compatible | Your custom base URL                                                      |

## Security

* Your upstream API key is stored encrypted and only used for forwarding requests
* OpenCompress never logs your upstream key in plaintext
* You can revoke your OpenCompress key at any time to stop forwarding