AI connections & profiles

Every AI feature in Helpin runs through two building blocks: connections, which hold the credentials for an AI provider, and profiles, which choose the model. Together they decide which provider and model an agent uses, and how that usage is paid for.

Manage both in Settings → AI.

Connections

A connection stores encrypted credentials for one provider.

Provider	Notes
OpenAI	API key
Anthropic	API key
OpenRouter	API key. One key gives access to many model vendors
OpenAI-compatible endpoints	Self-hosted or private models your administrator has approved
ChatGPT	Sign in with a ChatGPT account, where enabled. Always personal

Connections come in two kinds:

• Shared connections belong to the workspace. They can run unattended work, such as the support agent, automations, and scheduled agents. Managing them requires workspace settings permission.

• Personal connections belong to you. Use them when you start work manually, for example in Ask Agent.

Profiles

A profile binds a connection to a specific model and its settings. Every workspace starts with four standard profiles:

Profile	Use it for
Small	Fast, inexpensive everyday work. Ask Agent and new custom agents start here
Medium	A balance of quality and cost
Large	Harder reasoning and planning
Flagship	The most capable model, for the hardest problems

You can edit the standard profiles or create your own. A profile can also name one fallback profile, which is used only if its primary connection is unavailable before a run starts.

Which profile a run uses

Helpin picks the first of these that's set:

1. A profile you choose manually when starting the run

2. The agent's default profile

3. The workspace's default profile

Once a run starts, it keeps its provider and model through retries and resumes. Helpin never switches models in the middle of a run. Changing a profile later doesn't affect runs that have already started.

Paying for AI usage

	How AI is paid for
Helpin Cloud	Usage comes out of your plan's monthly AI allowance, at the rates on the pricing page. Optional overage is billed monthly
Helpin Cloud, Enterprise	You can also bring your own provider keys
Self-hosted (Community)	Always your own keys. Helpin never charges for AI usage

Self-hosting? See AI providers & knowledge search for server keys and knowledge embeddings.

Disconnecting a provider

Disconnecting a connection deletes its stored secret and stops new model calls on runs that use it. Requests already in flight may finish. Reconnect with a new key to resume work that paused for authentication.