---
title: "Lifetime plans: connect your own keys"
description: "A lifetime plan runs on your own AI, Firecrawl and DataForSEO keys: what that covers, how credits work, which free extras need your keys and how to connect them."
url: https://help.pixelclaw.ai/en/articles/26-lifetime-plans-connect-your-own-keys
collection: "PixelClaw guides"
updated: 2026-11-07
language: en
---

# Lifetime plans: connect your own keys

A lifetime plan runs on your own AI, Firecrawl and DataForSEO keys: what that covers, how credits work, which free extras need your keys and how to connect them.

A lifetime plan is paid once and never renews. It runs on your own keys: you connect your own AI service, Firecrawl and DataForSEO accounts, and work on them uses no PixelClaw credits. Each service bills you directly at its own prices.

## What runs on your own keys

-   **Writing:** research briefs, outlines, drafts, rewrites, translations and pictures run on your own AI key (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, MiniMax, Kimi or OpenRouter).
    
-   **Research:** topic research, competitor checks and monthly keyword checks run on your own Firecrawl key.
    
-   **Search numbers:** monthly Google search numbers for your keywords run on your own DataForSEO login.
    

## How credits work on a lifetime plan

-   Credits that come with your lifetime plan are added once and never refill. Credit packs you buy never expire.
    
-   Credits run on PixelClaw's keys until they are used. When they run out, your own keys take over, as long as you have connected them.
    
-   To use your own keys first instead, open **Settings**, then **Integrations**, then **Models & credits**, and change how your own AI keys are used.
    

## Free extras run only on your own keys

Other plans get these free on PixelClaw's keys. On a lifetime plan they run on your own keys:

-   **The first AI review of each post.** Without your own AI key, the first review uses credits like any later review.
    
-   **The AI keyword pick** when you start a post. Without your own AI key, keywords are ranked without AI.
    
-   **AI tagging of published posts.** Without your own AI key, posts are not tagged automatically. You can still add categories and tags yourself.
    
-   **Monthly checks of your tracked keywords.** Without your own Firecrawl key, tracked keywords are not checked each month. A check you start yourself still works with credits.
    
-   **Search numbers.** On PixelClaw's account they use credits. On your own DataForSEO login they are free.
    

## Connect your keys

1.  **AI:** open **Settings**, then **Integrations**, then **AI providers**. Choose a service, then paste your key. Each card links to the page where that service shows your key.
    
2.  **Firecrawl:** open **Settings**, then **Integrations**, then **Research & keywords**. Paste your key on the **Firecrawl** card.
    
3.  **DataForSEO:** on the same tab, paste your API login and API password on the **DataForSEO** card. Step by step: [Connect your DataForSEO account for search numbers](https://help.pixelclaw.ai/en/articles/25-connect-your-dataforseo-account-for-search-numbers.md).
    

PixelClaw checks each key with its service, stores it encrypted and never shows it again. Only owners and admins of the blog can connect, replace or remove keys.

## What PixelClaw still covers

-   Quality checks by Jev and the keyword intent labels.
    
-   Search across your Brand & knowledge sources.
    
-   Hosting your blog and its address, sending its sitemap to Google while it is on its PixelClaw address (a blog on its own domain sends it once from **Analytics**, under Google Search Console), and telling other search engines about new posts through IndexNow.
    

## A paid plan on top

If you also subscribe to a monthly or yearly plan, that plan's credits and free extras apply while the subscription runs.

## Related

- [Create a blog and publish your first post](https://help.pixelclaw.ai/en/articles/1-create-a-blog-and-publish-your-first-post.md)
- [Show PixelClaw posts on your existing website](https://help.pixelclaw.ai/en/articles/2-show-pixelclaw-posts-on-your-existing-website.md)
- [Connect a custom domain to your blog](https://help.pixelclaw.ai/en/articles/3-connect-a-custom-domain-to-your-blog.md)
- [Change your blog menu, homepage, and article layout](https://help.pixelclaw.ai/en/articles/4-change-your-blog-menu-homepage-and-article-layout.md)
- [Connect your AI provider and choose a writing model](https://help.pixelclaw.ai/en/articles/5-connect-your-ai-provider-and-choose-a-writing-model.md)