AI API Key Setup

Last updated: April 2026

RockTerm supports two AI providers: Anthropic Claude and OpenAI GPT. To use AI features, pick one provider and supply your own API key. This article walks you through obtaining a key from either provider, entering it in RockTerm, and understanding the associated costs.

Choosing a Provider

Both providers work well for the kinds of questions RockTerm's AI assistant handles (error interpretation, command suggestions, config help, log explanation). Choose based on which service you already have an account with, which models you prefer, or your own pricing and privacy preferences. You can switch providers at any time in Edit → Preferences → AI Assistant.

Option A: Anthropic Claude

1. Visit console.anthropic.com in your web browser.
2. Create an Anthropic account, or sign in to your existing account.
3. Navigate to the API Keys section of the console.
4. Click Create Key to generate a new API key.
5. Copy the key immediately. Anthropic will only display the full key once; if you lose it, you will need to generate a new one.

The Anthropic API is a paid, usage-based service. Review current pricing on anthropic.com/pricing. Spending limits can be configured in the Anthropic console.

Option B: OpenAI GPT

1. Visit platform.openai.com in your web browser.
2. Create an OpenAI account, or sign in to your existing account.
3. Navigate to API Keys under your account settings.
4. Click Create new secret key to generate a key.
5. Copy the key immediately. OpenAI will only display the full key once; if you lose it, you will need to generate a new one.

The OpenAI API is a paid, usage-based service. Review current pricing on openai.com/pricing. Spending limits can be configured in the OpenAI billing dashboard.

RockTerm does not charge separately for AI features — the only cost is your direct API usage with the provider you selected.

Entering the Key in RockTerm

1. Open RockTerm and go to Edit → Preferences.
2. Select the AI Assistant tab.
3. Choose your Provider — Anthropic or OpenAI.
4. Select a Model from the provider's available list.
5. Paste your API key into the API Key field.
6. Click Save. AI features become available immediately — no restart required.

You can open the AI Assistant panel from View → AI Assistant or with Ctrl+Shift+I. The panel's top bar shows the active provider and model so you can always see which service your queries will hit.

API Key Security

Your API key is sensitive information and should be treated like a password. RockTerm handles your key with the following safeguards:

• Stored locally. Your API key is stored on your local machine only. It is never transmitted to Rock River Research.
• Transmitted only to the provider you selected. Requests go directly to api.anthropic.com or api.openai.com over HTTPS — never through any Rock River Research server.
• Never logged or cached remotely. RockTerm does not log your API key to any file, crash report, or analytics service.

As a best practice, do not share your key, do not paste it into untrusted applications, and regenerate it promptly if you believe it has been compromised.

Usage and Cost

AI queries consume tokens through the provider you selected. Here is what to know about costs:

• Lightweight usage. Normal, day-to-day use of RockTerm's AI features is very lightweight. Most users can expect costs of just a few cents per day under typical usage patterns.
• Token consumption. Each AI query sends a prompt (plus any terminal context you include) and receives a response. Longer context and more complex questions use more tokens.
• Monitor your usage. Check your current usage and spend at console.anthropic.com or platform.openai.com/usage, depending on your provider.
• Set spending limits. Both Anthropic and OpenAI let you configure spending limits in their dashboards. We recommend setting a limit that aligns with your budget.
• Friendly error handling. If you hit a rate limit, quota exhaustion, or a billing issue, RockTerm surfaces a friendly message in the chat panel explaining what happened instead of showing a raw HTTP error.

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Still need help?

If you're still experiencing issues, contact us or email info@rockriverresearch.com.