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AI Provider Integration

Tillage's AI quote generation feature uses industry-leading AI providers. This guide covers setup and configuration for OpenAI and Anthropic Claude.

Overview

AI quote generation requires:

  • Premium plan subscription ($49/month)
  • API key from OpenAI or Anthropic

With AI enabled, describe projects in plain English and receive comprehensive, professionally-priced quotes in seconds.

Supported Providers

OpenAI (GPT-4)

  • Industry-leading language model
  • Fast, reliable responses
  • Excellent for business content

Anthropic Claude

  • Alternative AI provider
  • Strong reasoning capabilities
  • Good for complex projects

Both produce high-quality quote generation.

Getting API Keys

OpenAI API Key

  1. Visit https://platform.openai.com
  2. Sign up or log in
  3. Go to API Keys section
  4. Click "Create new secret key"
  5. Name it (e.g., "Tillage")
  6. Copy the key immediately (shown only once)
Cost: Pay-per-use based on tokens. Typical quote: $0.01-0.05

Anthropic Claude API Key

  1. Visit https://console.anthropic.com
  2. Sign up or log in
  3. Go to API Keys
  4. Create new API key
  5. Copy and save securely
Cost: Pay-per-use based on tokens. Competitive with OpenAI.

Configuring in Tillage

Step 1: Navigate to Settings

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Click "Integrations" tab
  3. Find AI section

Step 2: Add API Key

For OpenAI:
  1. Paste your OpenAI API key
  2. Click "Save"
  3. Key is encrypted and stored securely
For Claude:
  1. Paste your Claude API key
  2. Click "Save"
  3. Key is encrypted and stored securely

Step 3: Select Default Provider

Choose which AI to use by default:

  • OpenAI (GPT-4)
  • Anthropic Claude

You can switch per-quote if desired.

Security

Key Storage

  • API keys are encrypted at rest
  • Never transmitted to clients
  • Only used server-side

Best Practices

  • Use separate API keys for Tillage
  • Monitor usage in provider dashboards
  • Rotate keys periodically
  • Don't share keys

Using AI Quote Generation

Basic Process

  1. Create new quote, select client
  2. Click "Generate with AI"
  3. Enter project description
  4. Select pricing tier
  5. Click "Generate"
  6. Review and customize results

Project Descriptions

Better descriptions = better quotes Good:

> "Build a marketing website for a bakery with 5 pages (home, menu, about, contact, gallery), online ordering integration, and mobile-responsive design."

Less effective:

> "Make a website"

Pricing Tiers

Select client's pricing tier:

  • Enterprise - Premium rates
  • Mid-Market - Standard rates
  • SMB - Small business rates
  • Local - Budget-conscious rates
  • Nonprofit - Discounted rates

AI adjusts suggested pricing accordingly.

What AI Generates

For each project, AI creates:

Line Items

  • Clear titles (e.g., "Phase 1 - Discovery")
  • Detailed descriptions with deliverables
  • Estimated quantities (hours/units)
  • Suggested pricing
  • Appropriate variance buffers

Project Notes

  • Additional context
  • Assumptions made
  • Suggested category

Customizing Results

AI output is a starting point:

  • Edit any line item
  • Adjust quantities and pricing
  • Add or remove items
  • Modify descriptions
  • Change variance buffers

The AI does heavy lifting; you refine.

Tips for Best Results

Include Key Details

  • Number of pages/screens
  • Specific features needed
  • Integrations required
  • Timeline constraints
  • Technical requirements

Mention Industry

  • "Bakery website" vs "website"
  • "Law firm branding" vs "branding"
  • Helps AI use appropriate terminology

Specify Complexity

  • "Simple contact form" vs "complex CRM integration"
  • "Template-based" vs "fully custom"
  • Impacts variance suggestions

Cost Management

Typical Usage

  • Average quote generation: $0.01-0.05
  • Heavy usage (100 quotes/month): ~$5
  • Very affordable for the time saved

Monitoring Usage

  • Check your OpenAI/Anthropic dashboard
  • Set billing alerts if desired
  • Track usage over time

Budget Control

Both providers offer:

  • Usage limits
  • Spending caps
  • Billing alerts

Troubleshooting

"API key not configured"

  1. Go to Settings > Integrations
  2. Add or re-enter API key
  3. Ensure key is valid

"Generation failed"

  • Check API key validity
  • Verify account has credits
  • Try again (may be temporary)
  • Switch to alternative provider

"Results not relevant"

  • Provide more detailed description
  • Include specific requirements
  • Mention industry and context
  • Try regenerating

"Pricing seems off"

  • Check selected pricing tier
  • Adjust to match client type
  • Manually override if needed

Best Practices

  1. Validate keys work - Test generation after setup
  2. Monitor costs - Check provider dashboard monthly
  3. Write good prompts - Detailed descriptions help
  4. Always review - AI is a starting point, not final answer
  5. Keep keys secure - Rotate if compromised
Related: AI Quoting | Pricing | Getting Started
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