# Central host

> Choose the Vato Connect machine that runs Claude and Codex for your team, connect the team's AI accounts and turn it on.

The central host is the machine that runs Claude and Codex for your whole team. Members use the team's subscriptions through it, while the tools of each conversation still run on the member's own computer.

## How it works

- **The AI runs on the central host.** Claude or Codex, and the team's credentials, stay on that machine.
- **The tools run on the member's computer.** Searches, file reads, edits and commands happen in the member's own copy of the project, with relative paths and bounded permissions.
- **Traffic is encrypted end to end.** Only tool requests and their results travel between the two machines. Files are never copied to the central host.

## Before you start

- You need the **Owner** or **Administrator** role. Other roles don't see these settings.
- The central host is a Vato Connect machine, for example a server or a PC that stays on. When it is offline, team conversations can't run.

## 1. Prepare the machine

1. [Install Vato Connect](../connect/install-vato-connect.md) on the machine.
2. Sign in on that machine with the same Vato account you use in Vato Desktop:

   ```bash
   vato-connect login
   ```

That is all you run on the machine. The login installs a service that keeps Connect running. You don't need any runner or gateway command: the rest happens in Vato Desktop.

## 2. Choose the machine

1. In Vato Desktop, open the Team view and go to **Access**.
2. Look at **Connection machine**:
   - If one Connect machine is online, its name is shown with **Online**.
   - If several are online, pick one from the list.
   - If you see **No Vato Connect machine is online.**, check that the machine is on and that `vato-connect login` succeeded.

## 3. Connect the team's AI accounts

Under **Providers**, each provider shows **Not connected** until you add an account.

1. Click **Connect** next to **Claude** or **Codex**. The **Connect Claude** or **Connect Codex** dialog opens.
2. Your browser opens the provider's sign-in page. Sign in with the account the team will use.
3. Finish in the dialog if it asks you to:
   - For Claude, paste the code Claude shows after sign-in, then click **Continue**.
   - For Codex, the dialog may show a **One-time code** to enter in the browser.
4. The account now shows **Connected**, with its email.

The sign-in happens in your browser, but the resulting credentials are stored on the central host, not on your computer.

To add a second account for the same provider, click the **+** button (**Add an account**) on its row.

## 4. Turn it on

Turn on **Enable for the team**. The status changes to **Gateway online**.

The switch stays unavailable until at least one provider is connected: Vato shows **Connect Claude or Codex first.**

Members can then choose **Team account** in their team conversations and use the models you granted them in [Invite members](invite-members.md).

## Keep the accounts healthy

- **Reconnect required** on an account: click **Reconnect** and sign in again.
- **Attention required** under the switch: read the message and fix the problem on the machine.

To remove an account, click **Disconnect**, then **Disconnect account**. Only the credentials stored on the central host are removed; the provider account itself stays intact. Models that depend only on this account disappear from the team catalog.

## Advanced settings

Open **Advanced** at the bottom of the card to choose the **Central workspace**:

- **Workspace managed by Vato** (default): Vato picks a folder on the central host.
- **Custom folder**: type a **Central folder path**. If the central host is already on, click **Update gateway** to apply it.

The **Advanced** section of **Access** also lists the **Gateways registered for the Team**, online or offline. Click **Revoke** to retire an old one.

## Next step

[Start a team conversation](team-projects.md) from your Team workspace.

Source: https://vatoide.com/docs/team/central-host