---
title: Agents and accounts
description: Choose Codex, Claude Code or Pi, and connect the subscription or API key it runs on.
---

Polaris runs three coding agents, and each one runs on an account you connect:
a subscription you already pay for, or an API key. Usage counts against your
own plan or credit, so connect an account for each agent before you start a
Session with it, unless your organization shares one with you. Setup connects
Claude Code, Codex or both the first time you sign in; see the
[Quickstart](/docs/quickstart).

![Settings open over the app at Agent accounts, with members allowed to use their own accounts and connected Codex and Claude Code accounts showing session and weekly usage.](/docs/screenshots/agent-accounts.webp)

| Agent | Use it for | Connect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Codex | OpenAI's models | A ChatGPT subscription or an OpenAI API key |
| Claude Code | Anthropic's Claude models | A Claude subscription or an Anthropic API key |
| Pi | Models from the connected service | A ChatGPT subscription, or an API key for a supported service below |

Pi accepts API keys for Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, Google Gemini, Particle,
DeepSeek, Fireworks, Baseten, xAI, Vercel AI Gateway, Kimi API, Groq, Cerebras,
Mistral and Together. Choose the service that issued your key.

Particle-1 is also available in Pi through an OpenRouter account. Choose **OpenRouter · Particle-1** in the model picker.

A subscription runs within its plan's limits. An API key bills your credit with
that service. Codex and Claude Code also get your
[agent instructions](/docs/agent-instructions) and [MCP servers](/docs/mcp-servers); Pi
Sessions don't.

## Connect an account

1. Open **Settings**, choose your organization at the top (**Personal** if you
   work alone), then open **Agent accounts**.
2. On the agent's card, choose **Connect account**, then a subscription or an
   API key. For Pi, type in **Search services** to find a service by name.
3. Sign in to the service when the dialog asks, or paste the key and choose
   **Connect**.
4. Name the account and choose **Done**.

The account works in every organization you belong to, and **Settings → Your
account → Your agent accounts** lists them all. An account that works in only
one organization offers **Move to your agent accounts** in its menu, so it
works everywhere. Polaris never shows a saved key again. To stop using one,
choose **Remove account** in its menu; revoke the key with the service too if
you want it gone everywhere.

## Choose the active account

Each agent has one active account in each organization, and your Sessions run
on it. The card names it, for example **Active: Work · Claude subscription**.
To switch, choose **Use for Claude Code** (or **Use for Codex**, **Use for
Pi**) on another account. The change applies from your next message.

If your organization's **Codex source** is set to **Your gateway**, every Codex
Turn in it goes through that gateway instead of anyone's connected accounts,
so switching Codex accounts there changes nothing. An Owner or Admin sets the
source on the **Agent accounts** page.

## When you reach a usage limit

Each ChatGPT and Claude subscription shows how much of its plan you've used on
its row. With two or more subscriptions for Codex or Claude Code, **Switch
accounts at usage limits** is on: when your active account runs out, Polaris
makes the account with the most usage left active and continues the task for
you. Your own accounts switch only to your own, and shared accounts only to
other shared ones.

If no account has usage left, the Session shows **Claude Code usage limit
reached** (or Codex). Choose **Switch Claude Code account** to continue on
another account, or continue once the limit resets.

## Share accounts with your organization

Owners and Admins can connect a Claude Code or Pi account for everyone: under
**Who can use it**, choose **Everyone in** your organization, such as
**Everyone in Acme**. Members can make it their active account without ever
seeing its key.

To keep everyone on the organization's accounts, an Owner or Admin turns off
**Members can use their own agent accounts** at the top of **Agent accounts**.
Members then see **Acme uses its own agent accounts.** where they would connect
one, and a message that would use a member's own account waits until they
choose one of the organization's.

## If it doesn't work

- **This Machine can't send this message with the current settings:** edit your
  message or choose another model in the Session's model picker. If neither
  helps, choose **Contact support**. Your message was not sent.
  For **This Machine is too old for this service or model**, start a new Session from the
  same repository to use a new [Machine](/docs/machines). Your message was not sent.
  Keep any changes you need by committing and pushing them first.

- **Needs reconnect:** the sign-in expired or the service rejected the key.
  Choose **Reconnect** on the account and sign in again, or paste a new key
  and choose **Connect**. If a task stopped because of it, Polaris continues it
  once you reconnect or choose another account.
- **No Claude Code account is connected.** in a Session: choose **Connect
  Claude Code**. Your message is saved and sends as soon as the account works.
- **Turn on device code sign-in for Codex:** in ChatGPT, open **Settings →
  Security** and turn it on. In a ChatGPT workspace, an admin does this.

For anything else, see [Troubleshooting](/docs/troubleshooting).