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Setup guide

Everything you need
to get started.

Highlighter requires two API keys to work — one for Readwise (where your highlights are saved) and one for your chosen AI model (which reads your photos). This guide walks you through both.

01

What is Readwise?

Before setting up Highlighter, it helps to understand where your highlights are going.

Readwise is a reading companion app that saves all your highlights and resurfaces them through daily review. It connects to Kindle, Apple Books, Instapaper, Pocket, and dozens of other apps — and with Highlighter, your physical book highlights join the same library automatically.

Once your highlights are in Readwise, they're searchable, taggable, and sent back to you over time so you actually remember what you've read. It requires a paid Readwise subscription — plans start at $7.99/month.

Visit readwise.io →
02

Get your Readwise API token

This token lets Highlighter send your extracted highlights directly into your Readwise library.

1
Create a Readwise account
If you don't have one yet, sign up at readwise.io. A paid plan is required to use the API.
2
Go to your access token page
Navigate to readwise.io/access-token. You may be asked to log in first.
3
Copy your token
Your access token will be displayed on the page. Copy it and paste it into Highlighter under Settings → Readwise API Token.
03

Get your Anthropic API key

Highlighter currently uses Claude by Anthropic to read your photos and extract highlighted text. You'll need your own API key — usage is billed directly to your Anthropic account at a few cents per session.

1
Create an Anthropic account
Sign up at platform.anthropic.com. You'll need to add a payment method to access the API.
2
Go to API Keys
From your dashboard, click your account name in the top right → API Keys, or navigate directly to the Keys section in the sidebar.
3
Create a new key
Click Create Key, give it a name (e.g. "Highlighter"), and copy the key immediately — it won't be shown again.
4
Paste it into Highlighter
Open Highlighter → Settings → Anthropic API Key and paste your key. It's encrypted and stored locally in macOS Keychain — never sent to any server.
04

More AI models coming

Highlighter is currently powered by Anthropic's Claude. Support for additional AI vision models is planned for the general release, so you'll be able to choose whichever you already have access to.

Anthropic — Claude Available now
Powers the current beta. Claude's vision API reads your photos and extracts only the highlighted text.
OpenAI — GPT-4o Coming soon
GPT-4o supports vision input and will be offered as an alternative for users with an existing OpenAI account.
Google — Gemini Coming soon
Google's Gemini models support vision and will be added as a third option on general release.
More models may be
added based on feedback.