Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) in VS Code
by Microsoft / Visual Studio Code
VS Code feature to let users provide their own AI model API keys for extensions and IDE features
See VS Code docs and extension samples
Summary
BYOK allows developers and organizations to configure VS Code extensions to use their own AI model API keys (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.). Introduced in 2025, it integrates with the Language Model Chat Provider API and enables local control over which models are used in the editor.
Features
- Use personal or organizational API keys for AI extensions
- Language Model Chat Provider API support for third-party model extensions
- Works with Agent Mode and advanced features depending on model capabilities
- Enables better cost control and governance for enterprise usage
Superpowers
Gives security-conscious teams a simple way to adopt AI features while keeping model usage under their own billing and policy control.
Known limitations & notes
- Requires correct extension support and configuration (auth files, keys)
- Some features (Agent Mode) require powerful underlying models to be effective
Sources / notes:
- VS Code release notes and community demos.