MailerPress Pro uses your own account with an AI provider (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini…) to write email copy, generate images and build automations. You connect it with an API key: a secret code from your provider account that lets MailerPress send requests on your behalf. Requests go from your site straight to the provider, and the provider bills you for them.
This feature requires MailerPress Pro. OpenAI image generation and monthly AI usage limits require MailerPress Pro 2.1.0 or later.
Supported providers and models
You choose one provider for text (Text AI) and one for images (Image AI). The model is the provider’s specific AI engine.
| Provider | Used for | Available models |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | Text and images | Text: GPT-5.4, GPT-5.4 Mini, GPT-5.4 Nano. Images: GPT Image 2.0 |
| Mistral | Text | Mistral Large, Mistral Medium, Mistral Small, Magistral Medium, Magistral Small |
| DeepSeek | Text | DeepSeek Flash (V4.1), DeepSeek V4 Pro |
| Claude (Anthropic) | Text | Sonnet 4.6, Opus 4.6, Haiku 4.5 |
| Gemini | Text | Gemini 3 Pro, Gemini 3 Flash, Gemini 2.5 Pro, Gemini 2.5 Flash, Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite |
| Gemini Image | Images | Gemini 3 Pro Image, Gemini 2.5 Flash Image |
Which features use which provider
The Text AI provider powers:
- the Write with AI assistant and the AI actions menu in the email editor;
- the Generate with AI buttons next to Subject line and Preview text before sending;
- AI-written A/B test variations;
- AI-generated automations and automation steps.
The Image AI provider generates new images and image variations from the Image block of the email editor.
Details: Write and improve email content with AI, Generate images with AI in the email editor and Use AI to Generate Automations.
Set up text generation
- Go to MailerPress > Settings and open the AI Settings tab.
- At the top, select Text AI.
- Under Choose a provider, click a provider card. Each card shows API key configured or No API key.
- In the panel below (for example OpenAI Configuration), choose a Model. Switching provider resets the model to the first one in that provider’s list.
- Paste your key in the API Key for field (for example API Key for OpenAI). The Get your API key from link opens the provider’s API keys page.
- Click Save settings.
DeepSeek has an extra Reasoning mode toggle. When it is on, the model thinks before answering: replies take longer and use more tokens (the units providers bill you for).
How API keys are stored
- Each provider keeps its own key, so you can switch providers without entering keys again.
- A saved key is never displayed again. The field shows Your API key is saved. Replace it by typing a new one. Leave it empty to keep the saved key.
- If the selected provider has no key, a warning reminds you that AI features won’t work until you add one.
Set up image generation
- In MailerPress > Settings > AI Settings, select Image AI.
- Click OpenAI (model GPT Image 2.0) or Gemini Image (models Gemini 3 Pro Image and Gemini 2.5 Flash Image).
- Choose the Model, paste your key in API Key for OpenAI or API Key for Gemini Image, then click Save settings.
Image keys are stored separately from text keys. If you use OpenAI or Google for both, paste the key in Text AI and again in Image AI. To create a Google key, see Create a Nano Banana API key to generate AI images.
Limit AI usage each month
Cap AI usage on your site so a busy team or a mistake doesn’t inflate your provider bill.
- In MailerPress > Settings > AI Settings, select AI Usage.
- In the AI usage protection card, turn on Limit AI.
- Choose a Monthly limit (see the table below).
- Click Save settings.
| Monthly limit | AI actions per month | Generated images per month |
|---|---|---|
| Light usage | 100 | 20 |
| Regular usage | 500 | 100 |
| High usage | 2,000 | 400 |
| Custom | Your value in AI actions per month | Your value in Images per month |
With Custom, leave a field empty for no limit. If you turn on Limit AI without choosing a preset and leave both custom fields empty, no limit applies.
How usage is counted
- Limits cover the whole site: all users and all providers together.
- Each successful AI request counts as one AI action (text, subject line, image or automation generation). Each generated image also counts toward the image limit.
- Failed requests don’t count.
- Counters reset on the first day of each month, in your WordPress timezone.
- A request that would go over a limit is blocked before reaching the provider, with a message such as This request would exceed the monthly AI request limit.
These limits are counted by MailerPress only. To also cap spending at the source, set a budget or usage limit in your provider account.
Who can use AI features
- Only users who can manage MailerPress settings can open AI Settings.
- Using AI features requires the Use AI permission. By default, only administrators have it. To grant it to other roles, see Manage access to MailerPress features by WordPress role.
- Creating automations with AI also requires the Manage automations permission.
Good to know
- Without MailerPress Pro, the AI Settings tab only shows an upgrade notice.
- If a feature shows AI is not configured, the selected provider has no saved key. Click Configure AI Settings to go straight to the settings.
- Errors such as a rejected key, an unsupported model or an exhausted quota come from your provider. Check your key, plan and billing in the provider’s dashboard.
- When you export your settings, the AI Configuration group includes your API keys. See Export and Import Settings.