> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.thoughtly.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) for voices

> Connect your own ElevenLabs, Cartesia, or other voice provider API keys to Thoughtly to use your personal voices, usage limits, and provider pricing.

export const NextSection = ({title, icon, href, description}) => <div>
		<br />
		<Card title={title} icon={icon} href={href} horizontal="true">
			{description}
		</Card>
	</div>;

## What is BYOK?

**Bring Your Own Key (BYOK)** lets you connect your own voice provider API key to Thoughtly. Instead of using shared platform credentials, your agents use your provider account directly. This gives you:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Your own usage limits" icon="gauge-high">
    Rate limits and quotas come from your provider plan, so you are never constrained by shared platform limits.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Negotiated pricing" icon="badge-dollar">
    Volume discounts or custom pricing you have arranged with your provider apply automatically.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Voice cloning" icon="clone">
    [Clone custom voices](/agents/voice-cloning) stored directly in your provider account for full ownership and portability.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Full catalog access" icon="globe">
    Your private, cloned, and generated voices appear alongside the full public catalog.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## ElevenLabs

### Connect your key

A paid ElevenLabs plan (**Starter** or above) is required. Free ElevenLabs API keys cannot be connected because the validation step rejects them. You can find your API key in your [ElevenLabs dashboard](https://elevenlabs.io) under **Profile + API key**.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Integrations page">
    Go to **[Settings > Integrations](https://app.thoughtly.com/integrations)** in the Thoughtly dashboard. Look for the **ElevenLabs** card.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter your API key">
    Click **Connect** on the ElevenLabs card and paste your API key. Thoughtly validates the key against your ElevenLabs account before proceeding.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Automatic voice import">
    Once validated, Thoughtly automatically imports your **cloned** and **generated** voices from ElevenLabs into your workspace voice library. These voices appear in the **Saved** tab tagged with **Your ElevenLabs**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

After connecting, the ElevenLabs card on the Integrations page shows **Connected**.

### Review your subscription

Once connected, you can view your ElevenLabs subscription details directly in Thoughtly. The subscription screen shows:

* **Plan tier** and billing period
* **Character usage**: how many characters you have used out of your monthly quota, and when it resets
* **Voice slots**: how many custom voice slots you have used and how many are available
* **Features**: which capabilities your plan includes, such as Instant Voice Cloning and Professional Voice Cloning

Use this screen to monitor your usage and confirm your plan supports the features you need.

### What changes after connecting

Once your ElevenLabs key is active:

* A **Your ElevenLabs** badge appears in the Voice Selector header, confirming BYOK is active.
* The **Saved** tab shows only voices linked to your ElevenLabs account. Built-in default voices (like Tessa, James, Lisa) are hidden.
* The **Explore** tab shows the full voice catalog. When you save or assign a voice, it is linked to your credentials automatically.
* [Voice cloning](/agents/voice-cloning) creates clones in your ElevenLabs account rather than using Thoughtly's shared account.
* **Cartesia voices** remain available regardless of BYOK status.

<Tip>
  If the Saved tab is empty after connecting, your ElevenLabs account may not have any cloned or generated voices yet. Use the **Explore** tab to save voices, or [clone a new voice](/agents/voice-cloning).
</Tip>

### Concurrency

Your ElevenLabs plan determines how many simultaneous voice requests your agents can make. If your agents exceed this limit, calls may experience delays or fall back to a default voice.

| Plan     | Concurrent requests |
| -------- | ------------------- |
| Starter  | 3                   |
| Creator  | 5                   |
| Pro      | 10                  |
| Scale    | 15                  |
| Business | 15                  |

Concurrency is managed entirely by ElevenLabs based on your plan. If you need higher limits, upgrade your ElevenLabs plan or contact ElevenLabs about enterprise options.

### Managing your key

Your ElevenLabs API key is managed on the **[Integrations](https://app.thoughtly.com/integrations)** page.

**Rotating your key**: disconnect the current key and reconnect with the new one. Thoughtly re-imports your voices automatically on reconnect.

**Disconnecting**: go to **Settings > Integrations** and remove the ElevenLabs connection.

<Warning>
  Disconnecting removes all BYOK-linked voices from your workspace library. Agents that were using those voices fall back to the default voice. Cartesia voices are not affected.
</Warning>

A small number of enterprise workspaces operate without BYOK and instead use Thoughtly-managed voice credentials. If your Saved tab shows built-in default voices rather than your own ElevenLabs library, contact your account manager for setup assistance.

## Workspace-Level Library

Saved voices belong to the **workspace**, not individual users:

* All team members can access saved voices across their agents
* Voice selections persist across sessions
* No per-user sharing limitations

## Premium Voices

Some voices consume more [Credits](/platform/billing) per minute. These are badged with a multiplier like **2x cost** or **3x cost** in both the Saved and Explore tabs. Use premium voices for high-value interactions and standard voices for volume.

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Provider card not showing on the Integrations page">
    * BYOK is rolled out gradually. If you don't see the card for your provider, contact your account manager to enable it for your workspace.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="API key rejected during connection">
    * Verify the key is copied correctly with no extra spaces.
    * Confirm the key is active in your provider's dashboard.
    * Check that your subscription with the provider has not expired.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Cloned voices missing after connecting">
    * Only **cloned** and **generated** voices are imported automatically. Standard library voices must be saved manually from the **Explore** tab.
    * If you recently created voices in your provider account, disconnect and reconnect to re-import.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Voice not appearing in the Saved tab">
    * **Did you save it?** In the Explore tab, click the **Bookmark** icon or click the voice row to save + assign. Just pressing Play does not save.
    * **Check your key**: Your Saved tab shows voices linked to your [BYOK](#what-is-byok) credentials. Confirm your API key is active on the **Integrations** page.
    * **Refresh**: Close and reopen the Voice Selector panel, or refresh the Agent Builder page.
    * **Vendor removal**: The voice may have been removed by Cartesia or ElevenLabs.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Voice sounds different in production than preview">
    * Previews use sample text; real calls use your agent prompts, which may sound different.
    * Tune [Presence settings](/agents/settings#presence-tab) (sensitivity, endpointing) to optimize real-call behavior.
    * Always test with [Call Me](/agents/testing#call-me-real-call) before deploying.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Explore tab shows 'Failed to load voices'">
    * Check your internet connection. The voice catalog may be temporarily unreachable.
    * Try refreshing the Agent Builder page.
    * If the problem persists, check the [Platform Status](https://status.thoughtly.com) page.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Mispronouncing names or terms">
    * Add phonetic spellings to your agent prompts (e.g. "Thoughtly" → "Thought-lee").
    * Create pronunciation entries in your [Genius](/genius/getting-started) knowledge base.
    * Consider [Voice Cloning](/agents/voice-cloning) for specialized terminology.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Voice sounds unnatural or robotic">
    * Rewrite prompts conversationally. Use contractions, short sentences, and natural phrasing.
    * Add punctuation for pacing: commas for short pauses, periods for longer breaks.
    * Try a different voice from the Explore tab.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Wrong language or accent">
    * Confirm the agent's **Language** setting matches the voice's language.
    * Use the **Language** filter chip in the Explore tab to find voices in the correct locale.
    * See [Voice Optimization](/agents/voice-optimization#choosing-the-right-voice) for accent-matching strategies.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Still stuck?

If none of the above resolves your issue:

1. Note your **Team ID** (found in workspace settings)
2. Describe the exact steps you took and what you expected to happen
3. [Contact support](/support/getting-help) with this information

<NextSection title="Voice Cloning" icon="clone" href="/agents/voice-cloning" description="Create a custom voice from a recording or upload ->" />

## Test your ElevenLabs connection

After adding an ElevenLabs API key, use **Test Connection** to confirm that Thoughtly can access your account and voices. If the test fails, verify that the key is active and has access to the voices you expect to use.

## Legacy voice behavior

Some older workspaces may have legacy voice configurations. If a legacy voice no longer appears in the selector, choose an available Cartesia voice or connect your own ElevenLabs key to use custom ElevenLabs voices.