Common Operations

Install the CLI and activate PATH

One curl installs aikey into ~/.aikey/bin; a single source command makes the current shell pick it up.

1. 1
   Paste the install command in a terminal:curl -fsSL https://aikeylabs.com/i/of | bash
2. 2
   Activate PATH in the current shell:source ~/.zshrc # or source ~/.bashrc
3. 3
   Verify install:aikey --version

Open the aikey web console

The local Vault console — most subsequent operations happen here.

1. 1
   Run:aikey web
2. 2
   The browser opens http://127.0.0.1:27200. The Key list is empty on first launch.

Add a KEY to Vault

Web form or CLI, both work — the real credential is AES-256-GCM-encrypted and stays in the local Vault.

Option A · Web form

1. 1
   On the Vault page click + Add Key
2. 2
   Fill alias, pick provider, paste API key
3. 3
   Submit — a connection test runs automatically; green = ready

Option B · CLI

1. 1
   Interactive mode (recommended):aikey key add
2. 2
   Follow prompts: alias, provider, key. The new entry becomes active automatically.

After adding, see the full Vault

All KEYs are grouped by provider — see alias / protocol / status / last test / current active.

Read about OAuth and the Vault security model

Batch import KEYs

Already have many keys in env vars / .env / 1Password? Import them all at once instead of pasting one by one.

1. 1
   Sidebar → Import
2. 2
   Pick a source: env vars / .env / JSON / paste list
3. 3
   Preview parsed entries → check the ones to import → one-click import

Install the shell hook

Make claude / codex / kimi and friends transparently flow through AiKey — no manual env var edits.

1. 1
   The Web console shows an INSTALL HOOK READY banner
2. 2
   Click INSTALL → the hook is appended to ~/.zshrc / ~/.bashrc
3. 3
   Open a new terminal and run claude — AiKey transparently injects the active credential

Switch the active KEY

Quota exhausted / want to try a different provider / temporary experiment — the switch is hot, your next request uses the new KEY.

Option A · Web: click Use

1. 1
   In the Vault list, click the Use button at the end of the target row
2. 2
   That KEY shows IN USE; other KEYs in the same provider go to standby

Option B · CLI

1. 1
   Global switch (every terminal):aikey use <alias>
2. 2
   Temporary activation in this terminal only:aikey activate <alias>

Read about Route Token + multi-route switching

Run a connection test

Suspect a KEY is broken? Run a 3-step Ping + API + Chat diagnostic in seconds.

1. 1
   In the Vault row, click the icon
2. 2
   A modal runs three stages: Ping (reachability) / API (auth) / Chat (actually send a message)
3. 3
   Final readout: total latency + healthy/degraded. When it fails, the exact failing stage is shown.

Read about connectivity diagnosis