api keys

aider/website/docs/config/api-keys.md

@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+---
+parent: Configuration
+nav_order: 5
+description: Setting API keys for API providers.
+---
+
+# API Keys
+
+### OpenAI and Anthropic
+
+Aider has special support for providing
+OpenAI and Anthropic API keys
+via dedicated switches and configuration options.
+Settings keys for other providers works a bit differently, see below.
+
+You can set OpenAI and Anthropic API keys via
+[command line switches](/docs/config/options.html#api-keys-and-settings)
+`--openai-api-key` and `--anthropic-api-key`.
+
+You can also set those API keys via special entries in the
+[yaml config file](/docs/config/aider_conf.html), like this:
+
+```yaml
+openai-api-key: <key>
+anthropic-api-key: <key>
+```
+
+You can also store them in environment variables or a 
+[.env file](/docs/config/dotenv.html), which also works
+for every API provider:
+
+```
+OPENAI_API_KEY=<key>
+ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=<key>
+```
+
+All other LLM providers can use one of these other methods to set their API keys.
+
+### API keys on the command line
+{: .no_toc }
+
+Use `--api-key provider=<key>` which has the effect of setting the environment variable `PROVIDER_API_KEY=<key>`. So `--api-key gemini=xxx` would set `GEMINI_API_KEY=xxx`.
+
+### API keys in .aider.conf.yml
+{: .no_toc }
+
+You can also set API keys in the 
+[`.aider.conf.yml` file](/docs/config/aider_conf.html)
+via the `api-key` entry:
+
+```
+api-key:
+- gemini=foo      # Sets env var GEMINI_API_KEY=foo
+- openrouter=bar  # Sets env var OPENROUTER_API_KEY=bar
+- deepseek=baz    # Sets env var DEEPSEEK_API_KEY=baz
+```
+
+### API keys in a .env file
+{: .no_toc }
+
+The [.env file](/docs/config/dotenv.html)
+is a great place to set API keys and other provider API environment variables:
+
+```bash
+GEMINI_API_KEY=foo
+OPENROUTER_API_KEY=bar
+DEEPSEEK_API_KEY=baz
+```