How to Get a Gemini API Key — and Connect It to Your Product

Gemini, part of Google's large language model family, is accessible through Google AI Studio and Google Cloud's Vertex AI, and obtaining an API key is essential for integrating it into various applications like SaaS products or AI agents. The process involves creating an API key via Google AI Studio, securing it as an environment variable, and testing it with REST requests. Gemini offers a free tier with specific rate limits, and for commercial use, it is crucial to monitor usage and set quota alerts. To facilitate integration across different LLM providers such as OpenAI and Cohere, the Unified Generative AI API provides a standardized approach to models, prompts, and embeddings, enabling seamless switching and consistent outputs without rewriting code. Furthermore, Gemini's tool-calling capabilities via Unified's MCP allow for structured interactions with customer SaaS platforms, enhancing AI functionalities by linking text generation with authorized SaaS data actions. Security measures such as periodic key rotation, usage monitoring, and API key restrictions are imperative when deploying Gemini in production environments, and Unified's infrastructure supports AI-native SaaS teams by ensuring real-time data access and robust integration security.