The free and paid tiers handle data differently.

On the free tier, Google uses the content you send and the responses to improve its products, and human reviewers may read that data. On the paid tier, Google does not use your prompts and responses to improve its products. Think twice before sending sensitive content with a free-tier key.

Before you start

• You need a Google account to sign in to Google AI Studio (aistudio.google.com).
• New accounts start on the Free Tier, which gives access to certain models only and has its own rate limits. For higher limits, set up billing through Cloud Billing.
• Each key belongs to a Google Cloud project. That project determines billing and access.
• Vietnam is on the list of countries and territories where the Gemini API and Google AI Studio are available.

Steps to get a key

Sign in to Google AI Studio

Go to aistudio.google.com and sign in with your Google account.

Open the API keys page

Go directly to aistudio.google.com/apikey.

Create a key

Click the button to create an API key and choose the Google Cloud project for it. New users get a default project. If the create button is unavailable, you may lack IAM permissions, such as those of the Project Editor role. Ask an administrator.

Copy and store the key

Copy the key and keep it somewhere safe, such as a password manager. Treat it like a password and never check it into source control such as Git.

Enable billing (if needed)

On the API keys or Projects page in AI Studio, click Set up billing in your project's Billing Tier column. Select or create a Cloud Billing account, confirm your payment details, then add at least 5 USD in prepaid credits or choose a postpay plan if offered.

Paste the key into ResearchGangs

Open the AI assistant in ResearchGangs, choose Gemini, paste the key, add a label and click Connect. See Connect AI to ResearchGangs for details.

Save the key as soon as you create it.

If the key is lost or leaked, create a new one, update it in ResearchGangs and disable the old one.

Troubleshooting

ResearchGangs can't use AI even though it is connected

Check the key's project in AI Studio. On the free tier, each model has its own rate limits. On the paid tier, when spending reaches the billing account's monthly cap, service is paused for all linked projects until the 1st of the next month. You can request a higher cap.

I can't create a key

You may lack IAM permissions on the project. Ask an administrator to grant a role such as Project Editor.

The key is lost or may have leaked

Create a replacement key, update it in ResearchGangs, disable the old key once the new one works, then review your usage and billing logs. See also Protect your API key.

Official sources

• Using Gemini API keys (Google AI for Developers)
• Billing (Google AI for Developers)
• Gemini API Additional Terms of Service
• Gemini Developer API pricing
• Available regions (Google AI for Developers)

Checked against the provider's documentation on 28/10/2026. Their interface may change over time.