Configure an external AI provider

When you configure AI features for your organization, you can set up an external AI provider to use AI models provided by a third party, such as OpenAI or Gemini.

You can integrate Sigma with the following external AI providers:

• OpenAI
• Azure OpenAI Foundry
• Gemini through Google

User requirements

• You must be assigned the Admin account type.
• You must be able to provide the required authentication credentials.

Prerequisites

Before configuring an external AI provider, complete the prerequisites:

• OpenAI: Retrieve OpenAI credentials.
• Azure OpenAI: Retrieve Azure OpenAI credentials.
• Gemini: Retrieve Google Gemini credentials.

💡

Sigma recommends a token limit of at least 100,000 tokens per minute (TPM) for an external AI provider.

OpenAI credentials

To integrate with OpenAI directly, you must obtain, manage, and secure an OpenAI API key. You can retrieve the API key in the API keys section of the OpenAI developer platform. For instructions, see Where do I find my secret API key? in the OpenAI documentation.

Supported model: Sigma uses GPT-4.1.

Azure OpenAI credentials

To use OpenAI through Azure OpenAI in Microsoft Foundry Models, you must have the following:

• An Azure subscription with access to Azure OpenAI.

• The following supported models deployed in Microsoft Foundry:

  • GPT-4.1 or later (for a GPT-4 model)
  • text-embedding-3-small (for an Embeddings model).

  🚩

  Both models are required to use AI features in Sigma.

If needed, review the prerequisites listed in the Deploy Microsoft Foundry Models in the Foundry portal page of the Microsoft Azure documentation.

To integrate Azure OpenAI in Microsoft Foundry Models with Sigma, you must provide a deployment ID, endpoint URL, and API key for each required model. You can retrieve the required information from Microsoft Foundry. See Manage models in the Microsoft Azure documentation.

1. Log in to Microsoft Foundry.

2. Select your project.

3. On the Models + endpoints page, retrieve the relevant details:

   Details	Where to find
   Model name	Listed as the Model name for a given resource.
   Endpoint	Next to the resource name, click Get endpoint and copy the Endpoint value.
   Key	Next to the resource name, click Get endpoint and copy the Key value.

In Sigma, use the values as follows:

• Model name as the Deployment ID
• Endpoint as the Endpoint URL
• Key as the API Key

For more details, see Deploy Microsoft Foundry Models in the Foundry portal in the Microsoft Azure documentation.

Google Gemini credentials

To use Google Gemini, you must obtain, manage, and secure a Gemini API key.

You can retrieve the API key in the API keys section of Google AI Studio.

Supported model: Sigma uses Gemini 2.5 Flash.

When using AI features in Sigma, consider the rate limits set by Gemini. For more details, see Rate limits in the Gemini API documentation.

Add an external AI provider

After retrieving the required credentials, set up the external AI provider for your Sigma organization:

• Add OpenAI as an AI provider
• Add Azure OpenAI as an AI provider
• Add Gemini as an AI provider

Add OpenAI as an AI provider

To add OpenAI as an external AI provider for your organization:

1. Go to Administration > AI Settings:

   1. In the Sigma header, click your user avatar to open the user menu.
   2. Select Administration to open the Administration portal.
   3. In the side panel, select AI Settings.

2. In the AI provider section, select External models.

3. For AI Provider, select OpenAI.

4. In the API key field, enter the OpenAI API key.

5. Click Save to authenticate. After you save, the API key field appears blank and Sigma does not display the key.

   After the integration is successfully authenticated, the AI provider settings display Remove and Update buttons, and AI functionality is available for your organization.

Add Azure OpenAI as an AI provider

To add Azure OpenAI as an external AI provider for your organization:

1. Go to Administration > AI Settings:

   1. In the Sigma header, click your user avatar to open the user menu.
   2. Select Administration to open the Administration portal.
   3. In the side panel, select AI Settings.

2. Locate the AI provider modal and select the External models option.

3. For AI Provider, select Azure OpenAI.

4. For each model, provide the required details:

   • For Deployment ID, enter the model name.
   • For Endpoint URL, enter the endpoint.
   • For API key, enter the key for the endpoint.

   💡

   If the language model and embeddings model are in the same project, the endpoint URL and key are the same for both models.

5. Click Save to authenticate. After you save, Sigma does not display the values of your credentials.

   🚧

   If Sigma displays a "Failed to validate" error, you might have restricted access to your Azure instance using an IP allowlist. To fix this issue:

   1. Retrieve the IP addresses used by Sigma. See Add Sigma IPs to the allowlist.
   2. Update your allowlist in the Azure portal. See Grant access from an internet IP range in the the Microsoft Azure documentation.

   After the integration is successfully authenticated, the AI provider settings display Remove and Update buttons, and AI functionality is available for your organization.

Add Gemini as an AI provider

To add Google Gemini as an external AI provider for your organization:

1. Go to Administration > AI Settings:

   1. In the Sigma header, click your user avatar to open the user menu.
   2. Select Administration to open the Administration portal.
   3. In the side panel, select AI Settings.

2. In the AI provider modal, select the External models option.

3. For AI Provider, select Gemini.

4. For API key, enter the Gemini API key.

5. Click Save to authenticate. After you save, the API key field appears blank and Sigma does not display the key.

   After the integration is successfully authenticated, the AI provider settings display Remove and Update buttons, and AI functionality is available for your organization.

Manage an external AI provider

You can edit the external AI provider integration at any time. For example, to update your credentials.

1. Go to Administration > AI Settings.
2. In the AI provider section, make the changes. For example, change the AI provider or add a new API key.
3. Click Update.

Remove an AI integration

To disable AI functionality within Sigma, you can remove the AI provider:

1. Go to Administration > AI Settings.

   1. In the Sigma header, click your user avatar to open the user menu.
   2. Select Administration to open the Administration portal.
   3. In the side panel, select AI Settings.

2. In the AI provider section, click Remove.

3. In the Confirm removing external AI provider modal, click Remove.

   After the integration is successfully removed, the AI provider section displays a Save button, and AI functionality is disabled for your organization.