---
title: "Google (Gemini) API key"
description: "Add your Google AI Studio (Gemini) API key to score mentions: where to get the key, model options and costs, and troubleshooting."
source: https://backtalk.sh/docs/google
---
# Google (Gemini) key

Bring your own [Google Gemini](https://ai.google.dev/) key to score and categorise mentions with **Gemini**. Without an AI key, BackTalk uses a free offline word-list scorer; a Gemini key upgrades every new signal to AI sentiment, categories, and priority. Gemini's Flash-Lite tier is among the cheapest ways to do it.

## What it unlocks

- AI sentiment (positive / neutral / negative) instead of the offline lexicon.
- Category and priority tagging on each mention.
- A one-time background **re-score** of your existing mentions when you save the key.

You can save **a key per provider**. Left untouched, your first key powers filtering (sentiment, relevance, priority) and every saved key's model joins the AI share-of-voice comparison. Point either job at any saved key and model, including several models from one provider, under **What runs each task** in Settings.

## Get your API key

1. Open [**Google AI Studio → API keys**](https://aistudio.google.com/apikey) and sign in with your Google account.
2. Choose **Create API key** (you can attach it to an existing Google Cloud project or let Studio make one).
3. Copy the key. It starts with `AIza…`.

> Note the difference: this is a **Google AI Studio (Gemini API)** key, not a YouTube Data API key. Both start with `AIza…` but are enabled for different APIs, so use the AI Studio one here.

## Add it in BackTalk

1. Go to [**Settings**](/app/settings/ai) and find the **Gemini (Google)** card under AI providers.
2. Pick a model (see below) and paste your `AIza…` key.
3. **Save.** BackTalk sends one tiny test request to confirm the key and model, then stores the key encrypted and starts the background re-score.

## Models & cost

Billed by Google directly at their token rates, with no markup from BackTalk. Gemini offers a free tier with rate limits; paid list prices (USD per million input / output tokens):

- **Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite**: ~$0.10 / $0.40. Fastest and cheapest; the right default for sentiment.
- **Gemini 3.5 Flash**: ~$1.50 / $9. More capable on ambiguous mentions.

## Troubleshooting

- **"The provider rejected that API key."** The key is wrong, or the **Generative Language API** isn't enabled on its project. Recreate it from AI Studio.
- **"That model isn't available on this key."** Region or account restriction. Try Flash-Lite.
- **Quota / rate-limit errors.** The free tier has low per-minute limits; enable billing on the Cloud project for higher throughput.

> **Your key stays private.** It's encrypted at rest and only decrypted server-side when a scoring call runs. It is never returned to your browser and never logged. Settings shows only a masked hint.
>
> **Rotating your key:** create a new key in Google AI Studio, paste it into Settings to replace the old one, then delete the previous key.