OKNote
Getting Started

🤖 AI Setup Guide

AI runs through every corner of OKNote: note summaries, translation, chart generation, mail summaries, AI draft replies, weekly and monthly reports… and they all share one AI configuration. Set it up once and everything unlocks — all it takes is an API key from a model provider.

1. Set up in three minutes

Open Settings (⌘,) → AI Configuration:

  1. Pick a provider: the dropdown ships with presets for the major providers —

    Type Providers
    International OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, xAI Grok, OpenRouter, Mistral, Groq
    China-based DeepSeek, Zhipu GLM, Kimi (Moonshot AI), Qwen (Tongyi), Doubao (Volcengine), SiliconFlow, Tencent Hunyuan, Baidu ERNIE
    Local / custom Ollama, LM Studio, Custom (any OpenAI-compatible endpoint)

    Selecting one fills in the Base URL automatically — you usually don't need to touch it.

  2. Paste your API key: the one you created on the provider's site (how-to below).

  3. Pick a model: the field suggests recommended models for that provider — just click one.

  4. Click "Test": on success you'll see the model's response and how long it took; on failure, check that the key is correct and the account has credit.

  5. Save. Done!

🔒 Your API key is stored AES-256-encrypted on your own server. It is never shared with any third party.

2. Getting an API key

Every provider follows the same shape: sign up on their site → open platform / API console → create an API key → copy it. Two examples:

OpenAI

  1. Open platform.openai.com, sign in, and go to "API keys".
  2. "Create new secret key", then copy and store it.

DeepSeek (great price-to-performance)

  1. Open platform.deepseek.com, sign up and sign in.
  2. Go to "API Keys" in the left menu and click "Create API Key".
  3. Copy the generated key starting with sk- (it's shown only once). A small top-up goes a long way.

Zhipu (open.bigmodel.cn), Kimi (platform.moonshot.cn), Qwen (Alibaba Cloud Model Studio), and the rest work the same way — create a key on each platform's "API Key" page.

Ollama local models (completely free — data never leaves your machine)

  1. Install Ollama on your server (or your own machine): download it from ollama.com.
  2. In a terminal, run ollama pull qwen3 (or any model you prefer).
  3. In OKNote, choose "Ollama (local)" as the provider. The Base URL defaults to http://localhost:11434, no API key needed — enter the model name you pulled and hit Test.

Note: local models (Ollama / LM Studio), custom providers, and configuring multiple providers are advanced capabilities that come with certain license tiers. If an option shows a lock icon, your current plan doesn't include it.

3. Advanced: a different AI for each module

The settings page has a "Per-module config" switch (available on certain license tiers). Turn it on and you can configure separately:

  • Notes / Report AI — note summaries, translation, charts, and the weekly/monthly task reports
  • Mail AI — mail summaries, classification, AI draft replies

Each can use a different provider or model. A typical setup: a strong model on the notes side to keep report quality high, and a cheap, fast model churning through mail summaries. With the switch off, everything runs on one shared configuration — which is perfectly fine too.

On team deployments, an admin can also choose to share their AI configuration with all members, so nobody else has to get their own key.

4. It's configured — now where do I use it? The full AI feature map

Module Feature Where to find it
Notes Summarize note / Extract tags / Translate to English / Translate to Japanese / Generate chart / free-form Q&A open any note and click the ✨ floating button at the bottom right to open the AI panel
Notes Put an AI answer into the note click "Insert to Note" in the AI panel
Mail AI summary (batch-organize and classify mail) mail sidebar → Smart views → AI summary
Mail AI draft reply (custom instructions supported) open an email → "AI draft reply"
Tasks AI quick task (natural language / voice) AI floating button at the bottom right of the Schedule view
Tasks AI-generated weekly / monthly reports Report view → "Generate report"

The note AI panel deserves a closer look: its chat mode answers questions with the current note as context — open a long meeting note and simply ask "what do I need to follow up on here?". And "Generate chart" turns data found in your note into a bar, line, or pie chart and inserts it right into the body.

5. FAQ

  • An AI feature says it's "not configured"? Go back to Settings → AI Configuration, complete the setup, and make sure the test passes. If Per-module config is on, confirm the relevant module (Notes or Mail) has its own configuration too.
  • Connection test failing? Check, in order: the key was copied in full, the provider account has credit, and your server's network can reach the provider's API endpoint.
  • Want to switch models? Change the model name in settings and save — it takes effect immediately.

The last two guides are advanced setup for administrators: "🔑 After Buying: Activate Your License on This Server" and "🌐 Public Access: Your Own Domain + Cloudflare." Skip them if they don't apply to you.