# Set up Keel

Give Keel an AI provider, then choose how far it may go on its own.

*Embed only:*

In the Embed, your provider sets Keel up for you, and you can’t change it. Until they do, Keel says **Keel isn’t set up here yet.**

## You need

- **An owner or admin**: Of the organization. Others see **Not available to you**.
- **An API key**: From Anthropic or OpenAI. These are the two providers Keel works with.

## Add a provider

1. Open the menu under your name, then **Settings**. Under **Organization**, open **Keel**.
2. Under **Provider**, choose **Anthropic** or **OpenAI**.
3. Paste the key into **API key**.
4. Press **Add and test**.

![Settings › Organization › Keel with no provider yet: Provider, API key, Model and more, and Add and test.](https://docs.gorunner.io/img/build/keel-providers-light.jpg)

You should see the provider’s row says **Works · tested just now**, and **Limits** appears below it.

Or open **Keel** itself: while it is asleep, owners and admins can choose the provider and paste the key there. Anyone else sees who can, with **Copy a note** to send them.

The key is stored encrypted and never shown again. Saving tests it on a worker.

**What if the test fails?**

The panel says why, such as **Couldn’t use the key.** or **Couldn’t reach the provider.** Fix the key and press **Add and test** again.

**Save anyway** keeps it, marked **Doesn’t work**. Keel stays off until a provider’s key works.

*Self-hosted only:*

**What if it says no worker is running?**

The key is tested on a worker. Start one, then test again. A worker with `KEEL_CONCURRENCY=0` runs no Keel conversations.

See [Settings (.env)](https://docs.gorunner.io/self-host/settings).

## Model and more

Open **Model and more** before you save to change these. Leave them, and Keel uses the recommended model.

- **Model**: **Recommended**: `claude-opus-5` or `gpt-6-astra`. Also `claude-sonnet-5` or `gpt-5.6-terra`.
- **Reasoning effort**: **Model default**, or **Low** to **Maximum**. Higher is more careful, slower and costs more.
- **Base URL**: Only for a proxy or gateway.
- **Display name**: The name the row shows.

## Set the limits

**Limits** apply to everyone in the organization, on the default provider.

![Limits: The most Keel may do, Monthly token budget, Turns per hour per person, and Privacy mode.](https://docs.gorunner.io/img/build/keel-limits-light.jpg)

- **The most Keel may do**: **Ask**, **Draft**, **Operate** or **Full**, the default. Each conversation starts at **Ask**, and nobody can go above this.
- **Monthly token budget**: Empty is **Uncapped**. When it is spent, Keel stops until the next month.
- **Turns per hour, per person**: Empty is **Uncapped**.
- **Privacy mode**: Send step names and schemas to the provider, never a run’s data.

Press **Save**. See [What Keel can do](https://docs.gorunner.io/build/keel#how-much-keel-does).

## More than one provider

Press **Add provider** to add the other one. Keel uses the default. In a row’s **⋯** menu:

- **Set as default**: Keel switches to it. The limits move with it.
- **Test the key**: Checks the stored key again.
- **Edit…**: Change the key, the model or the name.
- **Remove…**: Deletes the stored key. If it was the default, the oldest other provider takes over, with the same limits.

*Self-hosted only:*

A platform admin visiting your organization can’t change its providers or limits. Someone who belongs to it has to.

## Check it worked

Open **Keel** in the sidebar and ask it something. It answers instead of saying **Keel is asleep.**

## Related

- [What Keel can do](https://docs.gorunner.io/build/keel): Commands, cards and the four levels · 4 min
- [Let Keel build it for you](https://docs.gorunner.io/build/build-with-keel): Describe a workflow, then apply it · 5 min
- [Fix failing workflows with Keel](https://docs.gorunner.io/build/fix-failures-with-keel): Fix with Keel, and Maintenance mode · 3 min

Source: https://docs.gorunner.io/build/set-up-keel