How-to guides & support

Step-by-step guides for every connection: where to get each key or sign-in from Microsoft, Anthropic, OpenAI, ChatGPT, Claude and the rest, and where to paste it in OnwardAI.

Guides

Getting started

AI answers and drafting

Where your people ask

Your documents and systems

Keep keys private. Paste keys only into your account portal or control panel. We will never ask you to send a key, password or secret by email, chat or phone.

Getting started

Your OnwardAI API key and server address

You need The catalog owner. Every plan.

Get it

  1. Sign in to your account portal (your catalog's address followed by /account/).
  2. Open Settings → API keys, add your website's domain and click Create key. Copy the key straight away: it is shown once.
  3. Open Connect and copy the server address from the Your website card.

Use it in OnwardAI

In the connector plugin's settings on your WordPress site (download it from the same card), or in your own app as a Bearer token.

Lost a key? Create a new one and delete the old one. Keys can't be shown again.

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Multi-factor sign-in (MFA)

You need Everyone who signs in, with a phone. Set up once, on your first sign-in.

Get it

  1. Install an authenticator app from your phone's official store:Microsoft Authenticator App Store (iPhone) · Google Play (Android)Google Authenticator App Store (iPhone) · Google Play (Android)Duo Mobile App Store (iPhone) · Google Play (Android)
  2. Sign in to your account portal with your email and password. Your first sign-in takes you straight to MFA setup, and nothing else opens until it's done.
  3. In the app, add an account and scan the QR code on screen (or type the key shown under it), then enter the 6-digit code the app shows.
  4. Save the ten recovery codes somewhere safe. Each one gets you in once if your phone isn't with you.

Use it in OnwardAI

From then on, sign in with your password and the current code from the app. New phone? Use Move to a new phone under Settings → Sign-in & security before the old one goes. Lost it? Use a recovery code, or ask your catalog owner or us to reset it.

Download only from the App Store or Google Play links above; similarly named apps are not the same. Organizations using Sign in with Microsoft can rely on their own Microsoft MFA instead.

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AI answers and drafting

Anthropic (Claude) API key

You need An Anthropic Console account with billing set up. This is separate from a Claude.ai subscription.

Get it

  1. Go to the Claude Console and sign in or create an account for your organization.
  2. Under Settings → Billing, add a payment method or buy credits. Keys don't work without them.
  3. Open Settings → API keys, click Create key, name it (for example "OnwardAI") and copy it. It starts with sk-ant- and is shown once.

Use it in OnwardAI

In your account portal, Settings → AI answers: choose Claude (Anthropic) and paste the key.

Set a monthly spend limit in the Console so costs stay predictable.

Anthropic's guide to API keys

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OpenAI API key

You need An OpenAI Platform account with billing set up. This is separate from a ChatGPT subscription.

Get it

  1. Go to the OpenAI Platform and sign in.
  2. Under Settings → Billing, add a payment method or credits.
  3. Open API keys, click Create new secret key, name it and copy it. It starts with sk- and is shown once.

Use it in OnwardAI

In your account portal, Settings → AI answers: choose OpenAI and paste the key. Another OpenAI-compatible provider works the same way with its own key and address.

You need only one AI key, Anthropic or OpenAI. Without one, people get the best matching passages instead of written answers.

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Where your people ask

Sign in with Microsoft

You need The catalog owner, and a Microsoft 365 administrator to approve it once. No key to create.

Get it

  1. In your catalog's control panel, open Microsoft sign-in and click Sign in with Microsoft to connect.
  2. If Microsoft says an administrator must approve, your Microsoft 365 admin signs in and ticks Consent on behalf of your organization.
  3. To limit who can sign in, your admin opens the app in the Microsoft Entra admin center (Enterprise applications), sets Assignment required and assigns groups.

Use it in OnwardAI

Nothing to paste. Choose who may join, and whether Microsoft sign-in is required, on the same page. Matter access rules then use your Microsoft 365 groups.

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Microsoft 365 Copilot

You need A Microsoft 365 administrator, and people with Copilot.

Get it

  1. In your account portal, open Connect → Microsoft 365 Copilot & Teams and turn it on. Leave Each person signs in chosen (law firm plans always use it), then click Create the Copilot sign-in app. Copy the client secret: it is shown once.
  2. Sign in to the Teams Developer Portal with your Microsoft 365 account and go to Tools → OAuth client registration → New OAuth client registration.
  3. Copy in the base URL, client ID, client secret, the authorization, token and refresh endpoints and the scope shown in the portal, and turn on PKCE. Restrict it to My organization only. Save and copy the OAuth client registration ID.
  4. Back in the portal, paste the registration ID and download the agent package.
  5. In the Microsoft 365 admin center, Settings → Integrated apps → Upload custom apps: upload the package and choose who gets it.

Use it in OnwardAI

People then find your agent under Agents in Copilot. The first time, it asks them to sign in with their Microsoft account; each person sees only what their own access allows, and on a law firm plan each person uses one license. Prefer one shared key with no sign-in? Choose One shared key instead and follow the steps the portal shows.

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Microsoft Teams bot

You need Someone who can create resources in your Azure subscription. The free bot tier is enough.

Get it

  1. In the Azure portal, create an Azure Bot: type Single Tenant, Create new Microsoft App ID, pricing tier F0.
  2. In the bot's Configuration, set the messaging endpoint to the address shown in your portal (Connect → Microsoft 365 Copilot & Teams).
  3. Copy the Microsoft App ID and App Tenant ID. Under Manage Password, create a client secret and copy its value (shown once).
  4. Under Channels, add Microsoft Teams.

Use it in OnwardAI

In your portal under Connect → Microsoft 365 Copilot & Teams: the App ID, tenant ID and client secret.

Client secrets expire (at most two years). Note the date and create a new one before then.

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ChatGPT

You need ChatGPT Business, Enterprise or Edu, and a workspace admin or owner. No API key: ChatGPT registers itself.

Get it

  1. In your account portal, open Connect → ChatGPT, turn it on and copy the MCP server URL.
  2. In ChatGPT on the web, open Plugins, click + and choose Add custom MCP server.
  3. Paste the URL. Authentication: OAuth. Sign in to your catalog when asked and allow access.
  4. In the Admin Console → Plugins, publish it to everyone or to chosen groups.

Use it in OnwardAI

Each person connects once with their own catalog sign-in, and sees only what that account may see.

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Claude

You need A Claude plan with custom connectors. On Team and Enterprise plans, an owner adds it for the organization. No API key.

Get it

  1. In your account portal, open Connect → Claude, Gemini & other AI apps, turn it on and copy the MCP server URL.
  2. In Claude, open Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector, name it and paste the URL.
  3. Click Connect, sign in to your catalog and allow access.

Use it in OnwardAI

Turn the connector on in a chat from the tools menu. Each person signs in with their own account.

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Gemini and other AI apps

You need An app that supports custom connectors. No API key.

Get it

  1. Copy the MCP server URL from Connect → Claude, Gemini & other AI apps.
  2. In Gemini on the web, go to Apps and add a custom app; in other apps, add a custom MCP connector.
  3. Paste the URL, sign in to your catalog and allow access.

Use it in OnwardAI

If an app asks for a client ID and secret, create them on the same portal page.

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Slack

You need A Slack workspace admin, or permission to install apps.

Get it

  1. In your account portal, open Connect → Slack and copy the app manifest.
  2. Go to api.slack.com/apps → Create New App → From a manifest, pick your workspace and paste it.
  3. Click Install to Workspace. Copy the Bot User OAuth Token (OAuth & Permissions) and the Signing Secret (Basic Information).

Use it in OnwardAI

Both go in the fields on Connect → Slack.

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Your documents and systems

OneDrive, SharePoint, Google Drive, Dropbox and Clio

You need A plan with cloud folders, and an account that can open the folders you want read.

Get it

  1. In your account portal, open Connect → Cloud folders & ProLaw and turn it on.
  2. Click Choose cloud folders and sign in with Microsoft, Google, Dropbox or Clio. Access is read only.
  3. Pick each main folder, then tick the subfolders to read (or all of them). For Clio, each matter becomes a folder.

Use it in OnwardAI

Nothing to paste. If your Microsoft 365 admin must approve apps, they approve it once when you first sign in.

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IT Glue (Kaseya) API key

You need An IT Glue Administrator, and an IT Glue plan that includes API access.

Get it

  1. In IT Glue, go to Account → Settings → API Keys, under Custom API Keys.
  2. Click +, name the key (for example "OnwardAI"), click Generate API Key and copy it. Leave password access off: OnwardAI never reads passwords.
  3. Note your IT Glue region: United States, Europe or Australia.

Use it in OnwardAI

In Connect → Cloud folders & ProLaw, open your folders and choose Add folder → IT Glue: pick the region and paste the key. Each organization becomes a folder.

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ConnectWise PSA API keys

You need A ConnectWise PSA administrator who can create API members.

Get it

  1. In ConnectWise PSA, go to System → Members and open the API Members tab. Click +.
  2. Name it (for example "OnwardAI") and give it a read-only security role that can see companies, service tickets and configurations. Save.
  3. Open its API Keys tab, click +, add a description and save. Copy the public and private keys: the private key is shown once.
  4. Note your site (for example na.myconnectwise.net) and your company ID (the one you sign in with).

Use it in OnwardAI

In Connect → Cloud folders & ProLaw, open your folders and choose Add folder → ConnectWise PSA: site, company ID, public key and private key. Each company becomes a folder.

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Windows file servers

You need The Enterprise plan, and your IT team or IT provider (Windows Server 2025 or 2022, or Windows 11 Pro, at the office and joined to your domain).

Get it

  1. In Connect → Cloud folders & ProLaw, open your folders and choose Add folder → File server → At your office. It shows the server address, folder ID and a connector key.
  2. Your IT runs the File Server Connector setup on a computer that can open the shares, enters those three values and lists the folders to read (one per line).
  3. Give the connector's account read access to those folders. It reads your people and groups from Active Directory, so answers follow your folder permissions.

Use it in OnwardAI

Nothing is opened in your firewall: the connector only sends. Enterprise customers get this done with their implementation lead.

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Visible in AI search

You need The Business Pro or Enterprise Complete plan, and items or folders marked Public.

Get it

  1. In your account portal, open Settings → AI search, turn on answer pages and add a sentence about your business.
  2. Mark the catalog items or folders you want used as Public (folders also get an AI search pages tick).
  3. Click Suggest pages now, read each suggestion, edit it if needed and approve it. Pages flagged for personal details need an extra tick.

Use it in OnwardAI

Approved pages appear on your site under /answers/ and in llms.txt. AI training crawlers are kept out unless you allow them.

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ProLaw on your own servers

You need The Enterprise plan, and your IT team or IT provider (Windows Server 2025 or 2022).

Get it

  1. In Connect → Cloud folders & ProLaw, open your folders and choose Add ProLaw. It shows the server address, folder ID and a connector key.
  2. Your IT runs the ProLaw Connector setup on the ProLaw server and enters those, with the SQL Server's name.
  3. Give the connector's account read access to the ProLaw database and the document share.

Use it in OnwardAI

Enterprise customers get this done with their implementation lead.

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Still stuck?

Screens at Microsoft, OpenAI and the others change from time to time. If a step doesn't match what you see, tell us where you got to and we'll walk you through it.

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