Getting Started

This guide walks you through installing PasteSuiteAI and configuring your first AI provider so you can start using text transformations, speech transcription, and smart actions right away.

Installation

PasteSuiteAI runs on Windows only. To install:

Download the latest installer (.exe) from the PasteSuiteAI website.
Run the installer. No administrator rights are required for a per-user install.
Launch PasteSuiteAI from the Start Menu or desktop shortcut. On first launch it may take a moment to start, then the main window appears.

Windows only. PasteSuiteAI uses your OS secure credential store to protect API keys. No keys are ever written to disk in plain text.

Setup Wizard

On the very first launch, if no connections are configured, the Setup Wizard appears automatically. It guides you through connecting to an AI provider. You can dismiss it at any point and configure connections later from Settings → Connections.

Step 1: Welcome

The welcome screen introduces the wizard. You have two choices:

Yes, set up — advances to provider selection.
No thanks — dismisses the wizard. It will not reappear automatically. You can relaunch it any time from Settings → Connections.

Step 2: Provider Selection

Click a provider card to select it and advance to configuration. Providers are grouped into two categories:

Category	Providers	When to use
Cloud	OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure OpenAI, Google AI, and others	Best quality and speed. Requires an API key and internet access. Usage is billed by the provider.
Local	Ollama, LM Studio, and any OpenAI-compatible local server	Runs on your own hardware. No API key needed, no usage costs, no data leaves your machine.

Each card shows the provider name and the capabilities it supports (for example llm, stt, vision).

In audio mode (reached via the audio upsell at step 5), only providers that support speech-to-text child connections are shown.

Step 3: Configuration

Enter the connection details for the selected provider. The fields shown depend on the provider:

Field	When shown	Description
Endpoint URL	Providers that require a custom endpoint (local providers, Azure OpenAI)	The base URL for the provider API. Pre-filled with the provider default where applicable.
API Key	Providers that require authentication	Your secret API key. Input is masked. Stored in your OS secure credential store — never written to disk in plain text. A link to the provider's key management page is shown when available.
Model	Always	A curated dropdown of supported models for the selected provider. The recommended model is pre-selected. Choose Custom model… at the bottom of the list to type a model identifier that is not in the curated list.

When you select Custom model…, a text input replaces the dropdown. Click Back to curated list to restore the dropdown and reset to the recommended model.

The model list is refreshed from the provider catalog when the wizard opens. If your preferred model does not appear, use the custom model input.

Step 4: Test Result

Click Test & Save. The wizard creates the connection, saves your API key, and sends a short test message to the provider. A spinner is shown while the test is in progress.

On success:

A checkmark is shown with a confirmation message.
Add Another — resets the form and returns to provider selection to configure a second connection.
No Thanks — Done — moves to the next step (audio upsell or defaults).

On failure:

An error message describes what went wrong. The connection is retained so you can save it anyway.
Try Again — deletes the failed connection and returns you to step 3 to correct the details.
Save Anyway — saves the connection despite the failed test. Use this when you know the failure was transient (for example a temporary outage or rate limit).
Skip — deletes the pending connection and dismisses the wizard entirely.

A connection saved with Save Anyway will appear in the connections list but actions using it may fail until the underlying issue is resolved.

Step 5: Audio Upsell

If you do not yet have a speech-to-text connection configured and audio-capable providers are available, the wizard offers to add one before closing.

Yes, add audio — switches to audio mode and returns to provider selection, showing only STT-capable providers.
No, skip audio — proceeds to defaults or closes the wizard.

This step is skipped when you already have an STT connection or no audio-capable providers are installed.

Step 6: Default Assignments

If you have configured more than one connection for the same capability (LLM, Vision, or STT), the wizard asks you to choose a default for each group.

Click any connection row to set it as the default for that capability. The star icon fills to indicate the active default. Defaults can be changed at any time from Settings → Connections or from the inline connection selector in the main window.

Click Done to close the wizard. This step is skipped entirely when each capability has at most one connection.

Interactive Elements

Element	Type	Description
Yes, set up	Button (primary)	Advances from step 1 to provider selection.
No thanks	Button (secondary)	Dismisses the wizard and marks it as seen. The wizard will not reappear automatically.
Provider card	Clickable card	Selects the provider and advances to the configuration step.
Back	Button (secondary)	Returns to the previous step. On the provider grid after looping, goes to the result screen rather than step 1.
Endpoint URL	Text input	Custom API endpoint URL. Shown only for providers that require it.
API Key	Password input	Provider API key. Masked on input. Stored in the OS Credential Manager.
Model dropdown	Select	Curated model list for the provider. Selecting the last option switches to custom text input.
Custom model input	Text input	Free-form model identifier. Appears when Custom model is selected from the dropdown.
Back to curated list	Link	Dismisses the custom model input and restores the dropdown with the recommended model.
Test & Save	Button (primary, with spinner)	Creates the connection, saves the API key, and runs a live connection test.
Add Another	Button (primary)	On success: resets the form and returns to provider selection.
No Thanks — Done	Button (secondary)	On success: advances to audio upsell or defaults depending on configuration.
Try Again	Button (primary)	On failure: deletes the failed connection and returns to the configuration step.
Save Anyway	Button (secondary)	On failure: saves the connection without a passing test.
Skip	Button (secondary)	On failure: deletes the pending connection and closes the wizard.
Yes, add audio	Button (primary)	Starts audio mode: returns to provider selection showing only STT-capable providers.
No, skip audio	Button (secondary)	Skips audio setup and proceeds to defaults or closes the wizard.
Default capability row	Clickable row	Sets the clicked connection as the default for that capability group.
Done	Button (primary)	Closes the wizard from the defaults step.

After Setup

Once the wizard closes you will see the main panel. It shows your current text, quick prompt buttons, the prompt input, and the list of available actions. For a full description of every element see Main Window.

To run your first action: select some text, then click AI Paste on any action card. The transformed text is pasted into the previously active window.

The default Paste Plain action strips all formatting without calling any AI provider. It is always available and does not count against your free usage limit.

For more on configuring and using actions, see Actions.

Re-running the Wizard

You can reopen the Setup Wizard at any time. Click the settings gear icon in the title bar, navigate to the Connections tab, and click Relaunch Wizard. To add only an STT provider, click Add Audio Connection instead — this launches the wizard directly in audio mode, showing only speech-to-text capable providers.