Mistral API key: get one and keep prompts on the EU endpoint

Who is the Mistral API a good fit for?

Mistral suits firms that want a French model maker's own models, served from the EU, under a contract with that maker.

Mistral AI is based in Paris and trains its own models, from Mistral Small up to Mistral Large. Its API also serves a few third-party open models such as Z.ai's GLM 5.3. Mistral has a global endpoint and two regional ones. For client work, use the EU one, api.eu.mistral.ai, which Locul does for you.

"Process requests in the EU or, for supported models, US for data residency"

Mistral AI, Inference

"Data sent through our API isn't used for model training, and zero data retention is available on request."

Mistral AI, Inference

How do I get a Mistral API key?

Sign in to the Mistral console, open API Keys, press Create new key and copy it straight away.

1. Sign in and choose a plan

   Go to console.mistral.ai. The free Experiment plan needs a phone number but no card; a paid Scale plan needs a payment method.

2. Open API Keys

   From your profile, choose API Keys. Admins can also use the Admin panel > API > API Keys.

3. Create the key

   Press Create new key. Fill in Key name (for example "Locul, Hugo's Mac"), pick the Workspace, an Expiration date, and leave the connector access scope as it is.

4. Copy it once

   Mistral shows the full key only once. Paste it into Locul or your password manager before you close the window.

5. Turn off training (free plan)

   In admin.mistral.ai, open Privacy in the left menu and switch off Anonymous improvement data for the API. For zero data retention, ask Mistral through the console or sales.

"The full key is shown only once."

Mistral docs, API keys

What is the Mistral EU endpoint URL?

The EU base URL is https://api.eu.mistral.ai/v1; the global api.mistral.ai does not promise EU processing.

Test your key from a terminal before you open Locul:

# paste your key into the variable first, never into a shared file
$ export MISTRAL_API_KEY="paste-your-key-here"
$ curl https://api.eu.mistral.ai/v1/chat/completions \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $MISTRAL_API_KEY" \
    -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    -d '{"model":"mistral-medium-3-5","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"Reply with one word: ready"}]}'

A working key returns JSON with a choices list:

{"object":"chat.completion","model":"mistral-medium-3-5",
 "choices":[{"index":0,"message":{"role":"assistant","content":"Ready"},"finish_reason":"stop"}],
 "usage":{...}}

Which Mistral model should I pick in Locul?

Pick Mistral Medium 3.5: Mistral built it for agent work and coding, which is what Locul's bots do with files and tools.

"Our frontier-class multimodal model optimized for agentic and coding use cases."

Mistral docs on Medium 3.5, Models

How do I add Mistral to Locul?

Open Settings > Model > Open models, pick Mistral AI under In your region, paste the key and press Test.

1. Open Settings, then Model

   In the Locul desktop app, open Settings and choose Model.

2. Choose Open models

   Pick Open models (marked Recommended), then find Mistral AI under In your country. Each row shows where the provider runs and whether it trains on your data.

3. Pick the model

   Under Model, choose Mistral Medium 3.5. Locul tags it Recommended.

4. Paste the key

   Under Access key, paste the key into the field and press Save and test. The Get a key link opens the right page at Mistral AI if you have not made one yet.

5. Run the connection check

   Under Connection check, press Test. Ready means chat and tools both work. Ready with limits means the model can chat but could not use tools in the check, so pick another model for bots that read files.

Locul marks Mistral "may train on data" in the provider list, because that is true on the free plan. Once you have switched training off or moved to a paid plan, the warning no longer applies to your account.

Why does my Mistral API key not work?

Usually the key has expired, belongs to another workspace, or the free plan's limits were hit.

What does a real request on Mistral look like?

A messy, everyday job with client names in it, the kind of work this setup is for.

Here is a request a chartered accountant in Paris might send to a Locul bot running on Mistral:

The client's ledger and the colleague's name stay on Mistral's EU endpoint. Locul keeps the file in its own memory on the Mac.

How fast and how good is Mistral in Locul?

We are timing real office tasks on Mistral with the recommended model, and the results will be published here.

What other in-country providers work with Locul?

Five more EU and Swiss providers, each with its own guide.

Frequently asked questions

Other setup paths