Connect your own AI provider, choose a model, and get suggestions as you capture. Here’s how to get started.
An API key lets Resurf use your provider account. OpenRouter gives you access to models from different companies with one key:
Add credit before connecting: Resurf may test paid models during setup. Check OpenRouter’s pricing and billing details.
Already use another provider?
On Mac: open Settings → Providers, click Connect beside your provider, paste the key, and connect.
On iPhone or iPad: turn on AI in Settings and open Providers. Select your provider, paste the key, and tap Continue. Review the data-sharing details, then tap Allow.
Use the provider that issued your key. An OpenRouter key goes under OpenRouter, even if you choose a Claude or OpenAI model through it.
Open Settings → AI on Mac, or the AI controls in Settings on iPhone or iPad. Turn on AI and Suggest as you capture, then choose a Model.
Choose a model that understands both text and images for suggestions on notes, screenshots, and photos. On OpenRouter’s model pages, look for text and image input with text output. Start with a compatible model offered in Resurf.
Save one note and one image to try it. Review the suggestions and your provider’s usage before processing more. You’re ready to go.
Yes, API usage is billed separately from chat subscriptions. Resurf does not include provider credit. Fund the account that issued your key; credit held directly with OpenAI or Anthropic does not fund OpenRouter. Setup tests, captures, and conversations can all use paid credit.
You can try a compatible free model, but free models have request limits and availability can change. Setup may test paid models. Check both your OpenRouter balance and the key’s spending limit; a negative balance can block even free models. More credit does not remove every rate limit.
Your model may only understand text. For full visual suggestions, it needs image input and structured output, not just image generation. Resurf may use another compatible vision model on the same connection, or fall back to text extracted from the image. On Mac, the note beneath the model setting tells you when this happens.
Check the main AI switch, Suggest as you capture, and the selected model. Then check the key, its expiration, available credit, and quota. On Mac, use Settings → Providers → Manage → Test. If you hit a rate limit, wait before retrying. For Ollama, keep it running at localhost:11434 with a model installed.
Yes. Choose a model in AI settings. On Mac, use Providers → Manage → Add custom model… for a missing model’s exact ID, including its vendor prefix or tag. Let it pass compatibility checks, then select it. Ask AI on Mac has its own model picker and needs tool calling and streaming. Voice transcription is configured separately.
Keys stay in your system Keychain. Cloud AI sends the content needed for the feature to your chosen provider; OpenRouter also forwards it to the provider serving the model. Review their privacy policies. For local processing on Mac, use a downloaded local Ollama model, not a cloud model. Never share your key in screenshots or support messages.
Yes. Set up the provider on each device where you want AI. Library sync does not set up its connection. Ollama and Ask AI are Mac-only in Resurf.
On Mac, use Settings → AI → Reprocess library… after testing a note and an image. Reprocessing can make a request for every capture, so check your credit and spending limits first. Turn off Suggest as you capture to pause automatic suggestions, or the main AI switch to disable AI features on that device.
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