Guide

How to get a Gemini API key.

Last updated · 14 July 2026

Creator MAX and every other Bielfor tool that uses Google Gemini needs an API key, a credential Google issues for a Cloud project so the plugin can generate images on your behalf. New keys created in Google AI Studio are auth keys. You pay Google directly (not us), and the key lives only on your machine.

Step 1: Open Google AI Studio

Head to aistudio.google.com and sign in with any Google account (personal, Workspace, whichever you already use).

Step 2: Create the key

  • Open API Keys in Google AI Studio and confirm the Cloud project shown. Existing Cloud users may need to import the intended project first.
  • Create a new auth key and copy it into a password manager or another secure credential store.
  • Do not judge a current key by an old prefix. Google now creates auth keys by default, began rejecting unrestricted Standard keys on 19 June 2026, and plans to reject Standard keys in September 2026. Google's current API-key guide →
  • If you lose or expose the key, create a replacement, test it, then revoke the old credential.

Step 3: Enable billing

Google's current Nano Banana image models have no free API tier. In Google AI Studio, use Set up billing for the same project as the auth key and confirm that the project shows the intended paid plan before the first image request. Missing billing is one possible cause of a failed request, but model access, region, key type, project selection, rate limits, spend limits, and quota can also be responsible. Google's billing guide →

Step 4: Paste the key into Creator MAX

  • In Photoshop, open the Creator MAX panel and click the gear icon (top-right of the plugin).
  • Paste the key into Gemini API key and hit Save.
  • The Remove key link replaces the input once a key is stored, so you can swap or wipe it anytime.

What does it cost?

Google bills directly for every generation. We never touch the transaction, never mark it up, and never add a Bielfor rate limit. Current standard image-output examples for the models used by Creator MAX:

  • Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image), up to 1024px: $0.039 per image
  • Nano Banana 2, 1K / 2K / 4K: $0.067 / $0.101 / $0.151 per image
  • Nano Banana Pro, 1K or 2K: $0.134 per image; 4K: $0.24 per image
  • Prompt, reference-image, text or thinking output, and Google Search use can add charges

Exact current numbers on Google's Gemini API pricing page. Set a monthly budget alert in Google Cloud if you want a safety net. Google will email you the moment you cross a threshold.

Do you ever see my key?

No. The key is stored in Photoshop's secure preferences on your machine and used only by your local plugin instance to call Google. No key, prompt, or image ever passes through a Bielfor server.

Troubleshooting

  • If Creator MAX shows "Invalid API key", copy the current auth key again from Google AI Studio, remove any leading or trailing spaces, and confirm that it belongs to the intended project. Do not use a prefix as a validity test.
  • A 429 RESOURCE_EXHAUSTED error can mean an RPM, TPM, RPD, quota, or spend limit was exceeded. Check the returned error, exact model, project plan, quota dashboard, region, and billing state instead of assuming one cause.
  • A 403 permission error can mean the wrong key or insufficient access. Confirm the auth key, project, account eligibility, region, and model access.
  • Use Google's current troubleshooting table → before replacing a working key.

Using a different provider?

Creator MAX runs eight models across three providers, and one key is enough to start. The other two setups are the same shape: how to get an OpenAI API key for GPT Image 2, and how to get an xAI API key for Grok Imagine Image.

Stuck?

Email support@bielfor.com with a screenshot of the error and we'll unblock you, usually same day.