To interact with Google's Gemini models, you'll need an API key. Follow these steps to obtain and set it up as an environment variable:
1. Generate Your API Key
- Visit https://ai.google.dev/
- In Google AI Studio, click on the "Get API key" button.
- Choose "Create API key".
- Your unique API key will be generated. Copy and save it securely.
2. Set the API Key as an Environment Variable
The recommended way to manage your API key is to set it as an environment variable. This avoids hardcoding it within your code. Here's how:
Linux/macOS:
export API_KEY="your_actual_api_key" Windows:
$Env:API_KEY = "your_actual_api_key"Important: Replace "your_actual_api_key" with the key you copied in step 1.
Verification (Optional)
To confirm your API key is set correctly, use the following commands:
- Linux/macOS:
echo $API_KEY - Windows:
echo %API_KEY%