How To Set Up a Free Gemini API Key in 3 Minutes

Every Growlmark tool runs on Google's Gemini API. The free tier is generous enough to cover typical creator usage — which means you can run the Repurpose Engine and Content Hub without paying for AI on top of the tool.

Here's exactly how to get your key. It takes about 3 minutes.

Step 1: Go To Google AI Studio

Head to aistudio.google.com and sign in with your Google account. You don't need to create a new account — any existing Google account works.

If you don't have a Google account, create one at accounts.google.com first. Takes 2 minutes.

Step 2: Get API Key

Once you're in AI Studio, look for the “Get API Key” button — it's in the left sidebar or at the top of the screen depending on your view.

Click it, then click “Create API Key.”

Google will ask which project to associate it with. If you don't have a project, it'll prompt you to create one — just accept the default name. This doesn't cost anything.

Step 3: Copy and Save Your Key

Your key will look something like: AIzaSyXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Copy it immediately and save it somewhere safe — a password manager, a notes app, anywhere you can retrieve it. Google won't show it to you again in full.

Step 4: Add It To Your Config

When you run the Repurpose Engine Setup Wizard, it generates a config.json file for you with a placeholder:

"api_key": "REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_GEMINI_KEY"

Replace that placeholder with your actual key. Then when you run install.php on your server, it writes the config in place and you're live.

What's The Free Tier Limit?

As of 2025, the Gemini 1.5 Flash free tier allows 15 requests per minute and 1,500 requests per day. For most individual creators, that's more than enough — even if you're repurposing content every day.

If you hit limits (which is rare for solo creators), you can add a billing method to your Google AI Studio account and the costs are very low — fractions of a cent per request.