BYOK stands for Bring Your Own Key. Instead of relying only on built-in services, you connect your own email provider, SMS provider, or AI provider and run the platform through accounts you control.
For agencies that care about margins, deliverability, and flexibility, BYOK is often the grown-up setup.
Email providers
To connect email, go to `Platform -> Messaging -> Email`, choose the provider, add the API key or SMTP credentials, verify, and then confirm the setup.
| Provider | Best for |
|---|---|
| SendGrid | Full white-label setup and strong operational control |
| Brevo | Simple all-in-one email and SMS coverage |
| Mailgun | Developer-friendly transactional sending |
| Amazon SES | Low cost at higher volume |
| Postmark | Transactional email with fast delivery |
| Emailit | Simple low-friction dedicated sending |
| SMTP | Gmail, Outlook, or custom SMTP when simplicity matters more than advanced tooling |
SMS providers
For Twilio, you will usually need the Account SID, Auth Token, and the sending number. Test SMS delivery before you roll it out to customers.
| Provider | Best for |
|---|---|
| Twilio | Reliability and broad international coverage |
| Brevo | One vendor for both email and SMS |
| GatewayAPI | European coverage and competitive pricing |
| Vonage | Enterprise messaging |
| Telnyx | Flexible pricing for technical teams |
| Amazon SNS | AWS-based workflows |
AI providers
Go to `Platform -> AI & Automation -> Artificial Intelligence`, add the API key, verify it, and then choose the models you want to use for review responses and optional assistant workflows.
- OpenAI is the easiest path for most users and supports the most common review response workflows
- OpenRouter is useful when you want access to a wider model marketplace and more provider flexibility
A practical agency setup
Most agencies launching seriously will use SendGrid or Brevo for email, Twilio for SMS, and OpenAI or OpenRouter for AI. Mailgun and Postmark are strong options when the team wants more delivery control, SES is the cost leader at scale, Emailit is a lighter low-friction option, and SMTP is useful for simpler mailbox-based setups.