AI Setup

Connect your existing AI subscriptions to chat with your notes directly inside openvlt. No per-token charges when using subscriptions.

Subscriptions

recommended

The easiest way to use AI in openvlt. Connect your existing ChatGPT or Claude subscription and your usage is covered by your plan. No API keys or per-token billing.

Go to Settings → AI → Subscriptions, enable the provider you want, and follow the sign-in flow. Both providers can be enabled at the same time.

ChatGPT

Works with ChatGPT Plus or Pro subscriptions. openvlt uses OAuth to connect to your ChatGPT account.

How to connect

Go to Settings → AI → Subscriptions and enable ChatGPT

Click Log in to ChatGPT. A sign-in page will open in your browser.

The settings page will update automatically once connected

If the sign-in page didn't open automatically, a link will be shown that you can copy and open in any browser where you are signed in to your ChatGPT account.

To disconnect, click the Disconnect button in the connected state. This removes the stored authentication token.

Claude

Works with Claude Pro, Max, and Team subscriptions. openvlt connects through Claude Code, which is bundled with the application.

How to connect

Go to Settings → AI → Subscriptions and enable Claude

Click Connect Claude. An authentication page will open in your browser.

The settings page will update automatically once connected

If the authentication page didn't open, a link will be shown that you can copy and open in any browser where you are signed in to your Anthropic account.

Manual setup (fallback)

If the in-app login flow doesn't work (e.g. in Docker or behind certain firewalls), you can authenticate manually via the terminal:

terminal

# Navigate to your openvlt installation directory
cd /path/to/openvlt

# Run Claude login
npx claude login

# Follow the prompts to sign in with your Anthropic account

After authenticating in the terminal, go back to Settings → AI → Subscriptions and click Refresh or toggle Claude off and on. The connection will be detected automatically.

API Keys

For pay-per-token usage. You provide your own API key and are billed directly by the provider. Supports OpenAI, Anthropic, and OpenRouter.

How to set up

Go to Settings → AI → API Keys

Enable the provider you want and enter your API key

Click Save. The key is encrypted and stored in the database.

Provider	Key format	Get a key
OpenAI	sk-...	Get key
Anthropic	sk-ant-...	Get key
OpenRouter	sk-or-...	Get key

API keys are encrypted before being stored in the database. They are only decrypted server-side when making requests to the provider.

Troubleshooting

Claude login fails or times out

This can happen in Docker or behind firewalls that block the OAuth callback. Use the terminal fallback instead:

terminal

cd /path/to/openvlt
npx claude login

Then refresh the status in Settings. If using Docker, you may need to run docker exec -it openvlt npx claude login inside the container.

ChatGPT login page doesn't open

The sign-in link is shown below the button after clicking "Log in to ChatGPT". Copy it and open it manually in the browser where you are signed in to your OpenAI account. Make sure pop-ups are not blocked.

Authentication succeeds but AI chat doesn't work

Make sure AI chat is enabled in Settings → AI → Chat. Also verify you have selected a model in the chat sidebar dropdown.

"Claude Code not detected"

Claude Code is bundled with openvlt as an npm dependency. If it's not detected, try reinstalling dependencies:

terminal

cd /path/to/openvlt
bun install

API key not working

Verify the key is correct and has not expired. Check that your API account has available credits. You can remove the key and re-enter it in Settings → AI → API Keys.

Still stuck? [email protected] · Open an issue on GitHub