---
title: Sarvam API key
description: Create a Sarvam API key, save it in Polyflo Settings, and understand where it is stored.
url: https://pr-1-2b0a782aae90.thally.app/api-key
---

# Sarvam API key

Create a Sarvam API key, save it in Polyflo Settings, and understand where it is stored.

Polyflo does not ship with speech-to-text credits of its own. Every dictation call uses **your** [Sarvam](https://www.sarvam.ai/) key against Saaras v3.

## Add a key

#### Create a Sarvam key

    Sign in at the [Sarvam dashboard](https://dashboard.sarvam.ai/) and create an API key. Sarvam publishes [trial credits](https://www.sarvam.ai/voice-to-text) and [speech-to-text pricing](https://docs.sarvam.ai/api-reference-docs/pricing) (billed per second).

#### Open Polyflo Settings

    Right-click the tray icon (Windows) or menu-bar icon (macOS) and choose **Open Settings**. If no key is stored, Settings opens on first launch.

#### Paste and leave the field

    Paste the key into **API Key**. Click away or press Enter. Polyflo saves it locally and the helper text changes to **Saved locally — verified**.

Use the eye button to reveal a saved key. The field shows a placeholder until you choose to reveal or replace it.

## Where the key is stored

The key is written to the OS credential manager:

- Service: `polyflo`
- Account: `sarvam`

It is not written to git, Settings JSON, or Polyflo's history file. The only time it leaves your machine is as the `api-subscription-key` header on requests to `api.sarvam.ai`.

During local development you can also set `SARVAM_API_KEY` in a `.env` file copied from `.env.example`. Production builds still prefer the credential manager via Settings.

> **Note:**
  Do not put a live Sarvam key in source control, screenshots of Settings, or public issue reports.

## Replace a key

Paste a new value into **API Key** and blur the field. The previous credential is overwritten in the credential manager.

If save fails on Windows, see [Troubleshooting](/troubleshooting) — v1.0.2 enabled the Windows Credential Manager backend for this exact case.