How to Get a Free Gemini API Key for YouTube Summarizer
Complete Guide to Google Gemini API Setup — 1,500 Free Requests/Day, No Credit Card
Key Takeaways
- What is a Gemini API Key?
- Step 1: Visit Google AI Studio
- Gemini 2.5 Flash (Default, Recommended)
- "Invalid API Key" Error
1Why Use Your Own API Key?
What is a Gemini API Key?
A Gemini API key is a unique identifier from Google that authenticates your requests to Gemini AI. Think of it as a free pass to Google's most advanced AI. NoteLM uses this to generate YouTube video summaries with timestamps, chapters, and key points.
Benefits of Your Own Key
(1) 100% Free — You use Google's generous free tier directly (1,500 requests/day), (2) Privacy Protected — Your data goes directly to Google, never through our servers, (3) No Usage Limits from Us — Only Google's limits apply, (4) Control — You can monitor usage and upgrade if needed.
Which Tools Need API Key?
Only the YouTube Video Summarizer Chrome extension needs a Gemini API key. Our 5 online tools (Channel Analytics, Transcript Generator, Comment Extractor, Thumbnail Downloader, Subtitle Downloader) work without any API key.
2Step-by-Step: Get Your Free API Key (2 Minutes)
Step 1: Visit Google AI Studio
Open aistudio.google.com in your browser. This is Google's official platform for AI development. Sign in with any Google account (personal Gmail works perfectly). No billing or payment setup required.
Step 2: Create API Key
In the left sidebar, click "Get API Key". Then click "Create API Key in new project" or select an existing project. Your new key generates instantly. It's a long string starting with "AI".
Step 3: Copy and Save
Click the copy button next to your key. Save it somewhere secure (password manager recommended). You can always access it later at aistudio.google.com/app/apikey. Never share this key publicly.
Step 4: Add to NoteLM Extension
Open the NoteLM Video Summarizer extension in Chrome, go to Settings (gear icon), paste your API key in the "Gemini API Key" field, click Save. Test by summarizing any YouTube video. Processing starts immediately.
3Free Tier Limits & Models
Gemini 2.5 Flash (Default, Recommended)
Free tier: 1,500 requests/day, 15 requests/minute, 1,000,000 tokens/minute, 1M context window. Perfect for YouTube summaries — fast (5-15 seconds), handles videos of any length, excellent quality. This is NoteLM's default model.
Gemini 2.5 Pro (Higher Quality)
Free tier: 50 requests/day, 2 requests/minute. Better reasoning and analysis but slower and lower free limits. Use for complex, technical, or very long educational content where you need maximum accuracy.
Daily Limits Reset
Free tier limits reset at midnight Pacific Time (PT). For most users, 1,500 requests/day with Flash is more than enough — that's summarizing 1,500 videos per day! Average user summarizes 5-20 videos/day.
Paid Options (Optional)
If you exceed free limits regularly (unlikely for most users), Google offers paid tiers: Gemini Flash at $0.35 per million tokens, Gemini Pro at $1.25 per million tokens. Pay-as-you-go billing with no minimums.
4Troubleshooting API Issues
"Invalid API Key" Error
Solutions: (1) Copy key again from aistudio.google.com/app/apikey — ensure no extra spaces, (2) Verify key is for Gemini API (not other Google services), (3) Try creating a new key if current one doesn't work, (4) Check your Google account doesn't have API restrictions.
"Rate Limit Exceeded" Error
You've hit Google's limits. Solutions: (1) Wait 60 seconds — per-minute limits reset quickly, (2) If daily limit hit, wait until midnight Pacific Time, (3) Space out requests when summarizing many videos, (4) Consider Gemini Pro for lower volume but higher quality.
API Key Security Best Practices
Your key is stored only in Chrome's local storage — we never see it. Security tips: (1) Never share publicly or in forums, (2) Don't paste in emails or chat, (3) Don't commit to code repositories, (4) If compromised, delete immediately at aistudio.google.com and create new one.
All 6 Free YouTube Tools
Each tool has dedicated support — all 100% free
Transcript Generator
OnlineExtract captions in SRT, VTT, TXT
Video Summarizer
ExtensionAI summaries with timestamps
Thumbnail Downloader
OnlineHD thumbnails up to 1280×720
Subtitle Downloader
ExtensionOne-click SRT downloads
Comment Extractor
OnlineExport to JSON/CSV
Channel Analytics
OnlineGrowth trends & metrics
Ready to Get Started?
Try any of our 6 free YouTube tools — online tools work instantly, no signup required.
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Language Support: 100+ Languages for All YouTube Tools
Transcript Generator Supports 100+ Languages, Summarizer Outputs in 50+ Languages
More Questions?
Check our comprehensive FAQ for answers to 40+ common questions about all 6 tools