# Use supported cloud-based model providers

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To use the APIs of supported cloud-based model providers, you must have an active account with sufficient credits or a subscription for API usage with the chosen provider. Note that account creation and credit management are handled externally and are outside the scope of this guide.
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Using this feature involves transmitting data to the selected provider’s servers. We strongly recommend reviewing each provider’s privacy policy to understand their data handling and retention practices. If you handle sensitive information or require stronger data privacy guarantees, consider [using a local model option](https://docs.burpgpt.app/how-to/use-supported-local-model-providers) instead to keep your data secure and private without external transmission.
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To configure and use a cloud-hosted model provider, follow these steps:

1. Go to the `Provider settings` tab.
2. Select a [cloud-hosted model provider](https://docs.burpgpt.app/getting-started/supported-model-providers#cloud-based-providers) from the options in the `Model` provider dropdown.
3. Enter the API key for the selected provider in the `API key` field. Refer to the selected provider’s documentation for instructions on obtaining and managing your API key.

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To avoid subscription fees associated with cloud-based model providers’ APIs, consider using [a local model](https://docs.burpgpt.app/how-to/use-supported-local-model-providers) instead. This allows you to run unlimited queries locally without relying on any external API.
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4. In the `Model` dropdown field, type or select the exact model identifier supported by the chosen provider (e.g., `gpt-4` for `Open AI` or `gemini-3` for `Google AI Gemini`).
5. The `Request parameters` field accepts a `JSON` object with valid model parameters like `temperature`, `stop`, and `max_tokens`. For details, see the selected provider’s documentation.
6. Use the `Role` dropdown to select or type one of the supported roles below. This free-type field requires exact role names recognised by the system:

| Role          | Description                                                                                  |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Assistant** | Represents the model’s responses based on user messages. Responsible for generating replies. |
| **System**    | Specifies how the model should respond. Example: “You are a helpful assistant.”              |
| **User**      | Represents user queries and provides context for the model’s response.                       |