API Keys

Some of the Simply apps need access to an AI to process information such as extracting or summarising book content or generating stories. To gain access, the providers of AI capabilities require you to posses a key which is unique to you which grants you access to the AI. Processing information with the AI requires the use of data servers which are expensive to own and operate. Despite this, the providers we have included setup for in our apps all have free versions of their AI models for you to use. Being free, they can have more limited functionality (but usually enough for the purpose we are using them for), may operate more slowly or even not work at all during periods of high usage.

After creation, the full API key will be displayed.

Important: Copy and store the key in a secure location such as in a password manager, as it will only be shown once. API keys are stored in the simply apps in an encrypted form for security and keys can’t be retrieved once stored.

The following are the instructions for you to use to access the websites of these providers and for getting your API key for the keys supported by the Simply apps:

Google Gemini

Google Gemini provides free tiers for many of their models so you can check which ones work best for you. The Simply apps settings screen lets you enter the model of your choice. Gemini’s free models sometimes work fine, at other times it can be a frustrating choice due to system loading.

1. Log in to Your Google Account

  • Visit the Google homepage.
  • Click on the “Sign in” button located at the top right corner.

2. Access Google AI Studio

  • Navigate to the Google AI Studio website (https://aistudio.google.com).
  • Look for the “Gemini API” tab or find the option to learn more about the Gemini API.

3. Request Your API Key

  • Click on “Get API key” within Google AI Studio.
  • You will be prompted to consent to the Google APIs Terms of Service and the Gemini API Additional Terms of Service.

4. Create Your API Key

  • Choose whether to create the API key in a new project or link it to an existing project.
  • Follow the prompts to generate your API key.

Anthropic (Claude)

To get a free Claude API key, sign up at the Claude Console (platform.claude.com), then navigate to Settings → API keys to create your key. You will receive a one-time $5 credit to try out the API for free, but after that, you will need to manage usage costs through your account.

1. Create an Account

2. Access API Key Settings

  • Once logged in, navigate to Settings.
  • Click on API keys.

3. Generate Your API Key

  • Click on the Create key button.
  • Name your key and set any desired expiration options.
  • Choose whether to link the key to your personal account or a service account.

Open Router

Open Router is a gateway where you can access over 500 different AI models. Once you have created an account you can search for free models and experiment to decide which is the best one for you. The Simply apps settings screen lets you enter the model of your choice. Open Router is probably the best choice for access to free models.

Step 1: Create an Account

  • Visit the OpenRouter website at openrouter.ai.
  • Click on the “Sign up” button.
  • Register using your email, GitHub, or Google account.

Step 2: Generate Your API Key

  • After signing in, locate the “Get API Key” button on the homepage.
  • Click on it to access the API key management page.
  • Select the “Create” option to generate a new API key.
  • The easiest way to get access to a free model is to use Open Routers default setting for free models. The simplest way to get free inference. openrouter/free is a router that selects free models at random from the models available on OpenRouter. The router smartly filters for models that support features needed for your request such as image understanding, tool calling, structured outputs and more.
  • Provide a descriptive name for your key.
  • Optionally, set a credit limit for the key.

LLM Evolution

The development of AI is a rapidly evolving landscape. As time goes on we will probably extend the number of providers but for now Open Router gives good access to most of the popular models.

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