Get a Google AI (Gemini) API key
How to get a free Gemini API key in Google AI Studio in about three minutes, what the free tier covers, and when to switch to paid.
1. Open Google AI Studio
- 1Go to aistudio.google.com and sign in with your Google account.
- 2Accept the terms if this is your first visit.
This is the Google AI Studio key, which is the simplest option. It is different from Vertex AI, which authenticates through Google Cloud instead of an API key.
2. Create the API key
- 1Open the API keys page at aistudio.google.com/app/apikey (or click "Get API key").
- 2Click "Create API key".
- 3Choose to create it in a new project, or pick an existing Google Cloud project.
- 4Copy the generated key.
Google AI Studio keys typically start with "AIza".
3. Free tier and billing
Google AI Studio includes a free tier with rate limits that are fine for trying things out. For higher limits and production use, enable billing on the associated Google Cloud project.
4. Keep it safe
Treat an API key like a password. Anyone who has it can spend on your account. Never post it publicly, commit it to a git repository, or paste it into a chat. If a key is ever exposed, revoke it in the provider console and create a new one.
What your Gemini key runs on BizWax.Ai
Paste the key in once and these tools use it, with Google billing you directly at its own rates and nothing added on top.
AI Consensus
Compare AI Models Side by Side
Five minds. One answer.
BizChat
Multi-Model AI Chat
One chat. Every model.
Hook Lab
AI Headline Generator
Describe it once. Get 20 headlines, scored.
Repurposer
AI Content Repurposing Tool
One asset in, five platforms out.
Common questions
Is the Gemini API key free?
Yes. Creating a key in Google AI Studio costs nothing, and the Gemini API has a free tier for testing and light use. Google says free-tier prompts and responses may be used to improve its products, including by human reviewers, so do not send confidential or customer data on the free tier.
Do I need a credit card to get a Gemini API key?
No payment step is part of creating the key. You sign in to Google AI Studio, accept the terms, and it creates a project and key for you. A payment method only comes in when you set up billing for the paid tier.
What is a Gemini API key?
It is a password that lets software call Google's Gemini models on your behalf, billed to the Google Cloud project the key belongs to. Gemini keys usually start with "AIza".
Where do I find my Gemini API key?
At aistudio.google.com/apikey, which lists your keys and the project each belongs to. The same keys also appear in the Google Cloud console under APIs & Services, then Credentials.
What are the Gemini free tier limits?
Google no longer publishes one fixed table. Your active limits are shown in Google AI Studio, they apply per project rather than per key, and Google says they are not guaranteed.
How do I switch the Gemini API to the paid tier?
In Google AI Studio, open your keys or projects and choose to set up billing. You can prepay, with a $5 minimum, or be billed after use if your account is eligible. Google Cloud free-trial credit cannot be spent on the Gemini API.
Can I use the Gemini free tier in the UK or EU?
Google's terms say that if you make an app available to users in the European Economic Area, Switzerland or the UK, you may only use the paid services. For a business serving people there, plan on the paid tier.
Checked against Google AI's own pages on 28 September 2026. Providers change free tiers and minimums often.
You have the key. Give it something to do.
Most people create a key for one project and never use it again. On BizWax.Ai you add it once and it works across every tool built on Google, with everything you make saved to one Library. Creating an account is free and includes some tools outright, plus free credits each week. The $20-a-month plan runs everything.
Create your account