Bring your own ElevenLabs API key and the credits from your ElevenLabs account stack on top of your TTSWP credits. Free ElevenLabs accounts give you 10,000 characters every month. Paid tiers give more. Here is how to connect one in under two minutes.
Why connect your own key
- Free monthly bonus credits - free ElevenLabs accounts include 10,000 characters per month at no cost
- Cost control - you can set a per-key monthly limit on ElevenLabs so TTSWP never exceeds what you want to spend on their platform
- Seamless overflow - when your TTSWP credits run out, generation continues without interruption
Your ElevenLabs credits are used only after your TTSWP monthly and top-up balances are empty.
Create an ElevenLabs account
- Go to elevenlabs.io.
- Sign up with your email.
- Confirm your email address.
The Free tier is enough to start. You get 10,000 characters per month at no charge. Upgrade later if you want more.
Find your API key
- Log in to elevenlabs.io.
- Go to your profile icon (top right) → API Keys.
- Click Create New Key.
- Give it a name like "TTSWP".
- Set permissions to at minimum Text to Speech.
- Optional but recommended: set a monthly credit limit on the key (for example 10,000). This caps what the key can spend.
- Click Create and copy the key. It starts with
sk_.
Keep the key secret. Do not paste it into public places.
Add the key to TTSWP
- Go to
app.ttswp.com/settings. - Scroll to ElevenLabs BYOK.
- Paste your API key into the ElevenLabs API key field.
- (Optional) Enter your per-key monthly limit in the Monthly character limit field (for example
10000). This is the number you set on ElevenLabs. - Click Save key.
TTSWP validates the key by making a test call. If the key is good, a green pill shows on your Overview page in WordPress.
How the bonus is shown
On the Overview page in WordPress, look at the Quick Stats card. When your key is connected and valid, you see:
[ElevenLabs connected] Free tier 0 / 10,000 ElevenLabs credits per month | Resets Oct 5, 2026
The numbers come from ElevenLabs in real time. The reset date is your ElevenLabs billing cycle.
How credits are used when BYOK is active
Order of use during generation:
- TTSWP monthly credits from your plan
- TTSWP top-up credits if any
- Your ElevenLabs account via your BYOK key
You do not pick the order. The plugin handles it.
Removing the key
Go to app.ttswp.com/settings and click the Remove button next to the masked key. Your Overview page flips back to the Hint! callout promoting BYOK again.
When your key stops working
If ElevenLabs rejects your key (revoked, regenerated, or missing TTS permission), the Overview page shows:
[ElevenLabs key invalid] Update it on app.ttswp.com. Update key →
To fix it:
- Go to
app.ttswp.com/settings. - Click Remove to clear the old key.
- Create a fresh key at elevenlabs.io.
- Paste the new one and click Save.
Per-key monthly limit
If you set a monthly character limit on your ElevenLabs key, ElevenLabs enforces that cap. TTSWP does not see that limit through the API, so you need to enter it manually in the "Monthly character limit" field on app.ttswp.com.
When set, your Overview page shows the correct per-key limit instead of your account-wide cap.
Permissions you need on the key
The minimum permission is Text to Speech. If you use Speech-to-Text transcription in TTSWP (PRO feature), also enable Speech to Text permission on the key.
Keys with other permissions (Voice Cloning, History, etc.) work fine but are not required.
Common questions
Does BYOK work on the Free plan? Yes. Connect a key and you get your welcome credits plus your ElevenLabs credits.
Do I pay TTSWP when my ElevenLabs key is used? No. Generation that falls back to your ElevenLabs account costs you nothing extra on TTSWP.
Can I use one key across multiple sites? Yes. Connect the same key on every site. Each site's usage counts against the same ElevenLabs monthly limit.
What if my ElevenLabs account also has paid monthly subscription? Same flow - TTSWP reads whatever monthly limit ElevenLabs reports for your key.