API Vault
How buyers and creators save provider keys, and which key owner is billed in each workflow credential mode.
Buyers using their own provider keys and creators choosing a listing credential mode.
API Vault stores provider keys for the account that owns them. Keys stay server-side and are never placed in a public workflow graph, API response, event, stream, or client-side run payload.
Why it matters#
Without a central vault, keys get copied into individual blocks and become difficult to rotate safely. Vault gives each account one connection point per provider. A listing's credential mode determines whose Vault is used and who receives the provider bill.
Where you see it#
Vault appears in account settings (Settings, API keys). Run panels show a Use my API keys row for Edgaze Plus members with a saved key, and a quiet "Add keys" link otherwise. Listing cards and product pages disclose the credential mode and required providers before a run.
Vault is the only place a key enters a run. Steps have no per-step key setting, and no run panel asks you to paste a key.
The three credential modes#
| Listing mode | Credentials used | Who pays the provider | Buyer requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edgaze-hosted | Edgaze platform credentials | Edgaze | None (Plus can opt in to their own keys) |
| Creator-connected | Listing creator's Vault keys | Creator | No buyer provider key |
| Buyer brings keys | Buyer's Vault keys | Buyer | Active Plus and every required provider key |
Credential requirements are determined by the workflow's listing-level credential mode. They are not inferred from which account happens to have a key saved.
Some models are Edgaze-hosted only. Kimi-K2.6 and DeepSeek-V4-Pro run on Edgaze's own deployment and have no provider key you can save in Vault, so a workflow that uses either one can only be published as Edgaze-hosted. Publishing it as creator-connected or buyer-BYOK is rejected until you switch those blocks to a direct-provider model.
Before creating a run, Edgaze checks every required provider. A missing or unreadable key stops preflight before wallet funds or a bundle run are reserved. Creator-connected listings become unavailable if the creator removes a required key; they never silently fall back to Edgaze-hosted credentials.
What creators should do#
Pick the model for the job and choose the listing credential mode before publishing. Creator-connected publication requires active Plus and all required creator Vault keys. Buyer-BYOK listings must clearly disclose the buyer's required providers. If the graph uses an Edgaze-hosted-only model such as Kimi-K2.6 or DeepSeek-V4-Pro, publish it as Edgaze-hosted.
Do not discover a missing key on launch day.
Using your own keys on hosted listings#
With active Plus, the run panel's Use my API keys switch runs every step whose provider (OpenAI, Anthropic or Google) has a key in your Vault on that key. Other steps, including Kimi-K2.6 and DeepSeek-V4-Pro, stay on Edgaze's keys. Your choice is remembered for your account, and REST API and MCP runs follow it. Vault keys are read only while Plus is active.
BYOK and billing#
Steps on a Vault key cost Edgaze infrastructure only; steps on Edgaze's keys keep their full model cost. You pay the creator margin plus that compute, with $0.002 as the floor. The provider bills the key owner directly. See BYOK.
Good habits#
- Keep keys only in vault.
- Match provider to model.
- Re-test after rotating or replacing a required key.
- Confirm the product page shows the intended credential mode before publishing.
What to read next#
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