Max Nardit

AI Setup

Beetroot can transform your clipboard text using AI -- translate, summarize, fix grammar, rewrite, and more. You bring your own API key (BYOK). Beetroot never stores or transmits your data except to the AI provider you choose, and only when you explicitly ask for a transform.

Version: 1.5.1 Last updated: 2026-03-16

Supported Providers

ProviderSpeedCostBest for
OpenAIFastPaidGeneral transforms, widely used
Google GeminiFastFree tier availableBudget-friendly option
AnthropicFastPaidHigh-quality rewrites
DeepSeekModerateVery cheapDeep reasoning tasks
Local LLMVariesFreeFull privacy, no internet needed

Cloud Provider Setup

OpenAI

Models: gpt-5-nano (fast, cheapest) or gpt-5-mini (smarter, for complex tasks)

  1. Go to platform.openai.com and sign in or create an account.
  2. Navigate to API keys and create a new key. It starts with sk-.
  3. In Beetroot, open Settings > AI.
  4. Select OpenAI as your provider.
  5. Paste your API key.
  6. Choose a model -- gpt-5-nano is recommended to start (fast and cheap).
  7. Click Test to verify the connection.
  8. Click Save.

Google Gemini

Models: gemini-2.5-flash-lite (fastest) or gemini-2.5-flash (better reasoning)

  1. Go to aistudio.google.com and sign in with your Google account.
  2. Click "Get API key" and create a key. It starts with AIza.
  3. In Beetroot, open Settings > AI.
  4. Select Google Gemini as your provider.
  5. Paste your API key.
  6. Choose a model -- gemini-2.5-flash-lite is the fastest option.
  7. Click Test to verify.
  8. Click Save.

Gemini offers a generous free tier, making it a great starting point if you want to try AI transforms without spending anything.

Anthropic

Models: claude-haiku-4-5 (fastest) or claude-sonnet-4-6 (best balance of speed and quality)

  1. Go to console.anthropic.com and sign in or create an account.
  2. Navigate to API keys and create one. It starts with sk-ant-.
  3. In Beetroot, open Settings > AI.
  4. Select Anthropic as your provider.
  5. Paste your API key.
  6. Choose a model -- claude-haiku-4-5 is recommended for quick transforms.
  7. Click Test to verify.
  8. Click Save.

DeepSeek

Models: deepseek-chat (everyday tasks) or deepseek-reasoner (deep reasoning, chain-of-thought)

  1. Go to platform.deepseek.com and sign in or create an account.
  2. Create an API key in your dashboard.
  3. In Beetroot, open Settings > AI.
  4. Select DeepSeek as your provider.
  5. Paste your API key.
  6. Choose a model -- deepseek-chat is good for most tasks; deepseek-reasoner is for complex analysis.
  7. Click Test to verify.
  8. Click Save.

DeepSeek offers very competitive pricing. The deepseek-reasoner model shows its thinking process, which is automatically cleaned from the output.

Local LLM Setup (No Internet Required)

Run AI transforms entirely on your computer with no API key and no data leaving your machine.

Option 1: Ollama

Ollama is the easiest way to run local models.

  1. Download and install Ollama from ollama.com.
  2. Open a terminal and pull a model: 
    ollama pull llama3.2
  3. Ollama runs automatically in the background on port 11434.
  4. In Beetroot, open Settings > AI.
  5. Select Local LLM as your provider.
  6. Choose the Ollama preset -- the endpoint fills in automatically.
  7. Click Test -- Beetroot will connect and show a dropdown of your installed models.
  8. Select your model from the dropdown.
  9. Click Save.

Recommended Ollama models:

  • llama3.2 -- Good general-purpose model, runs on most hardware
  • mistral -- Fast and capable
  • gemma2 -- Google's open model, good for text tasks

Option 2: LM Studio

LM Studio provides a graphical interface for managing and running local models.

  1. Download and install LM Studio from lmstudio.ai.
  2. Download a model through the LM Studio interface.
  3. Start the local server (LM Studio runs on port 1234 by default).
  4. In Beetroot, open Settings > AI.
  5. Select Local LLM as your provider.
  6. Choose the LM Studio preset.
  7. Click Test to verify the connection. The loaded model is detected automatically.
  8. Click Save.

Option 3: Custom Endpoint

Any server that speaks the OpenAI-compatible API format works with Beetroot.

  1. Start your model server.
  2. In Beetroot Settings > AI, select Local LLM.
  3. Choose Custom and enter your endpoint URL (e.g., http://127.0.0.1:8080/v1/chat/completions).
  4. Enter the model name.
  5. Click Test and Save.

Model Recommendations

GoalProviderModelWhy
Cheapest cloud optionGoogle Geminigemini-2.5-flash-liteGenerous free tier
Best qualityAnthropicclaude-sonnet-4-6Excellent rewrites and translations
FastestOpenAIgpt-5-nanoLowest latency
Deep analysisDeepSeekdeepseek-reasonerChain-of-thought reasoning
Full privacyLocal LLMllama3.2 (Ollama)Nothing leaves your machine
Offline useLocal LLMAny Ollama modelWorks without internet

Using AI Transforms

Once a provider is set up, there are two ways to transform text:

Method 1: Transform Panel

  1. Select a text clip in the list.
  2. Press Alt+T (or right-click > Transform).
  3. The Transform panel shows built-in text transforms (UPPERCASE, lowercase, Title Case, Trim whitespace) and your AI prompts below.
  4. Click an AI prompt. The text is sent to your provider.
  5. The transformed result is saved as a new clip in your history.

Method 2: Quick Access from Context Menu

  1. Right-click a text clip.
  2. At the bottom of the context menu, you'll see your Quick Access prompts (up to 5).
  3. Click one to transform the text immediately.

To enable Quick Access on a prompt, go to Settings > AI and check the "Quick Access" box next to the prompts you use most often. Up to 5 prompts can be Quick Access at once.

Built-in Prompts

Beetroot comes with 10 ready-to-use AI prompts:

PromptWhat it does
Fix GrammarCorrects grammatical errors without changing meaning
Any to EnglishDetects the language and translates to English
SummarizeCondenses text into 2-3 key sentences
Make ProfessionalRewrites in a clear, business-appropriate tone
Format as CodeApplies proper code indentation and formatting
Bullet PointsConverts text into a bulleted list
SimplifyRewrites in plain, simple language
Make ShorterCondenses to roughly half the length
Explain ThisExplains in simple terms for anyone
Extract Key DataExtracts names, dates, numbers, and URLs

You can also create your own custom prompts (up to 20 total, including built-ins) in Settings > AI.

Troubleshooting

ProblemSolution
"Set API key in Settings"You have not entered an API key for the selected provider. Go to Settings > AI.
"API key is invalid"Double-check your key. Make sure it matches the selected provider.
"Request timed out (30s)"The provider took too long. Try again or switch to a faster model.
"Empty response"The AI returned nothing. Try a different prompt or model.
"Text too long for AI transform"Clips longer than 50,000 characters cannot be processed. Copy a shorter section.
Local LLM "Failed"Make sure your model server (Ollama or LM Studio) is running and the endpoint is correct.

Privacy

  • Beetroot only sends text to an AI provider when you explicitly request a transform.
  • Only the specific clip you are transforming is sent -- never your full clipboard history.
  • If you use a Local LLM, no data leaves your machine at all.
  • API keys are stored locally on your computer and are never transmitted anywhere except to their respective provider.

Last updated: 2026-03-16