diff --git a/app/UserAPIKey.tsx b/app/UserAPIKey.tsx
index 78a677c..78d9c4b 100644
--- a/app/UserAPIKey.tsx
+++ b/app/UserAPIKey.tsx
@@ -3,51 +3,54 @@
 import { useEffect, useState, useRef } from "react";
 import { toast } from "sonner";
 
+const isValidKeyFormat = (key: string) => /^[a-zA-Z0-9]{64,}$/.test(key);
+
 export function UserAPIKey() {
-  const [userAPIKey, setUserAPIKey] = useState<string>("");
-  const [isValidating, setIsValidating] = useState(false);
-  const debounceTimeoutRef = useRef<NodeJS.Timeout | null>(null);
+  const [userAPIKey, setUserAPIKey] = useState(() => {
+    if (typeof window !== "undefined") {
+      return localStorage.getItem("togetherApiKey") || "";
+    }
+    return "";
+  });
 
-  // Initialize from sessionStorage
-  useEffect(() => {
-    const storedKey = sessionStorage.getItem("togetherApiKey");
-    if (storedKey) {
-      setUserAPIKey(storedKey);
+  const [isValid, setIsValid] = useState(true);
+  const [isChecking, setIsChecking] = useState(false);
+
+  const validateKey = async (key: string) => {
+    if (!key) {
+      setIsValid(true);
+      return;
     }
-  }, []);
 
-  const validateAndSaveApiKey = async (apiKey: string) => {
-    if (!apiKey) {
-      sessionStorage.removeItem("togetherApiKey");
-      return false;
+    if (!isValidKeyFormat(key)) {
+      setIsValid(false);
+      return;
     }
 
-    setIsValidating(true);
+    setIsChecking(true);
+
     try {
-      const response = await fetch("/api/validate-key", {
-        method: "POST",
+      const res = await fetch("https://api.together.xyz/v1/models", {
         headers: {
-          "Content-Type": "application/json",
+          Authorization: `Bearer ${key}`,
         },
-        body: JSON.stringify({ apiKey }),
       });
 
-      const result = await response.json();
-
-      if (result.success) {
-        sessionStorage.setItem("togetherApiKey", apiKey);
-        toast.success("API key validated and saved!");
-        return true;
-      } else {
-        toast.error(result.message || "Invalid API key");
-        return false;
-      }
-    } catch (error) {
-      console.error("Error validating API key:", error);
-      toast.error("Failed to validate API key. Please try again.");
-      return false;
+      setIsValid(res.ok);
+    } catch {
+      setIsValid(false);
     } finally {
-      setIsValidating(false);
+      setIsChecking(false);
+    }
+  };
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (userAPIKey) {
+      localStorage.setItem("togetherApiKey", userAPIKey);
+      validateKey(userAPIKey);
+    } else {
+      localStorage.removeItem("togetherApiKey");
+      setIsValid(true);
     }
   };
 
@@ -70,33 +73,50 @@ export function UserAPIKey() {
   };
 
   return (
-    <div className="flex gap-3">
-      <div className="text-left text-xs max-md:hidden">
-        <p className="text-gray-600">[Optional] Add your</p>
-        <a
-          href="https://api.together.xyz/settings/api-keys"
-          target="_blank"
-          className="text-gray-300 underline"
-          rel="noopener noreferrer"
-        >
-          Together API Key:
-        </a>
-      </div>
-      <div className="relative flex-1">
+    <div className="flex flex-col gap-2">
+      <div className="flex gap-3 items-center">
+        <div className="text-left text-xs max-md:hidden">
+          <p className="text-gray-600">[Optional] Add your</p>
+          <a
+            href="https://api.together.xyz/settings/api-keys"
+            target="_blank"
+            className="text-gray-300 underline"
+          >
+            Together API Key:
+          </a>
+        </div>
         <input
           type="password"
           value={userAPIKey}
           autoComplete="off"
-          onChange={handleApiKeyChange}
+          onChange={(e) => setUserAPIKey(e.target.value)}
           placeholder="API key"
-          className="h-8 w-full rounded border-[0.5px] border-gray-700 bg-gray-900 px-2 text-sm focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-gray-200"
+          className={`h-8 rounded border-[0.5px] px-2 text-sm focus-visible:outline
+            ${
+              isValid
+                ? "border-gray-700 bg-gray-900 focus-visible:outline-gray-200"
+                : "border-red-500 bg-red-900 focus-visible:outline-red-300"
+            }`}
         />
-        {isValidating && (
-          <div className="absolute top-1/2 right-2 -translate-y-1/2">
-            <div className="h-4 w-4 animate-spin rounded-full border-2 border-gray-300 border-t-blue-600" />
-          </div>
-        )}
       </div>
+
+      {!isChecking && !isValid && (
+        <p className="text-xs text-red-400 pl-[104px]">
+          Invalid Together AI key. Please double-check or create one at{" "}
+          <a
+            href="https://api.together.xyz/settings/api-keys"
+            target="_blank"
+            rel="noopener noreferrer"
+            className="underline"
+          >
+            Together API settings
+          </a>.
+        </p>
+      )}
+
+      {isChecking && (
+        <p className="text-xs text-gray-400 pl-[104px]">Validating key...</p>
+      )}
     </div>
   );
 }