How to Get a Google Gemini API Key for Praxiss BYOK AI
Last updated: March 2026
Praxiss uses AI to generate performance review insights, identify employee strengths, and surface patterns across your team's feedback. To power these capabilities, you connect your own API key from a supported provider. This is what we call BYOK AI (Bring Your Own Key): you own the model relationship, you control the data, and you pay the provider directly at cost.
This guide walks you through getting a key from Google Gemini and connecting it to Praxiss.
Google's Gemini models are a strong choice, particularly if you're cost-conscious. They offer one of the most generous free tiers in the AI space, and the paid plans are competitively priced against OpenAI and Anthropic.
Setting up OpenAI instead? See our OpenAI API key setup guide. Prefer Claude? We also cover Anthropic API key setup.
What is Google Gemini?
Gemini is Google's family of AI models. They range from lightweight (Flash-Lite, suited to simple tasks) to high-capability (Pro, for complex reasoning). For Praxiss, mid-range models like Gemini 2.5 Flash or Gemini 2.0 Flash hit the right balance of quality and cost.
You access these models through Google AI Studio, which issues an API key you can paste into Praxiss.
Step-by-Step: Getting Your API Key
1. Go to Google AI Studio
Head to aistudio.google.com. You'll need a Google account. If your team already uses Gmail or Google Workspace, you're set.
2. Sign In
Use your Google account. If your organisation runs on Google Workspace, use your work account so billing sits in the right place.
3. Open the API Keys Section
Once inside AI Studio, click Get API Key in the left sidebar. You'll see a page listing any existing keys.
4. Create a New Key
Click Create API Key. Google will ask you to select a Google Cloud project. If you don't have one, it'll create a default project automatically.
Give it a moment. Your new key will appear on screen.
5. Copy Your Key
Click the copy icon next to your new key. Paste it somewhere secure temporarily (a password manager, not a sticky note). You'll need it shortly.
6. Paste It into Praxiss
Log into Praxiss as an admin. Go to Settings > Integrations > AI Configuration. Select Google Gemini as your provider, paste your API key, and save.
That's it. Praxiss will now use Gemini for AI-native review analysis, feedback synthesis, and insight generation.
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Pricing: What Will This Cost?
Google Gemini has one of the most generous free tiers available. Here's the breakdown as of March 2026.
Free Tier
Most Gemini models include a free tier with rate limits. No credit card required. You can use Gemini 2.0 Flash, 2.5 Flash, and 2.5 Flash-Lite at no cost, with caps on requests per minute and per day.
For a small team under 20 people, the free tier may cover your Praxiss usage entirely, especially if you run reviews quarterly.
Paid Pricing (Per Million Tokens)
| Model | Input | Output | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 2.0 Flash | $0.10 | $0.40 | Fast, affordable, good quality |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash | $0.30 | $2.50 | Better reasoning, still cheap |
| Gemini 2.5 Pro | $1.25 | $10.00 | Complex analysis, highest quality |
| Gemini 3 Flash | $0.50 | $3.00 | Latest generation, great balance |
| Gemini 3 Pro | $2.00 | $12.00 | Most capable, premium pricing |
What Would a Typical Organisation Spend?
A performance review analysis in Praxiss generates roughly 2,000 to 4,000 input tokens (the review text, context, and prompts) and about 1,000 to 2,000 output tokens (the AI analysis).
A 50-person organisation running quarterly reviews:
- About 200 reviews per year
- Roughly 800K input tokens and 400K output tokens
- On Gemini 2.0 Flash: approximately $0.24 per year
- On Gemini 2.5 Pro: approximately $5 per year
Even a 500-person company running monthly check-ins would spend under $50 per year on Gemini 2.5 Flash. The AI cost for Praxiss usage is genuinely minimal.
Batch API Discount
If you're processing many reviews at once (end-of-quarter batch runs), Google offers a 50% discount through their Batch API. Praxiss handles this automatically when available.
Setting Up Billing (If You Need the Paid Tier)
If you hit free-tier limits or want faster response times:
- Go to console.cloud.google.com/billing
- Click Create Billing Account (or link an existing one)
- Add a credit card or set up invoicing
- Link your billing account to the project your API key belongs to
Google won't charge you anything until you exceed the free-tier limits.
Security Tips
Your API key is a credential. Treat it accordingly.
Never share it publicly. Don't paste it in Slack, email threads, or commit it to a code repository.
Use Praxiss's built-in key storage. When you paste your key into Settings, Praxiss encrypts it at rest. Don't store it in plain text anywhere else.
Rotate your key periodically. Every 90 days is a reasonable cadence. Go back to AI Studio, create a new key, update Praxiss, then delete the old one.
Set up billing alerts. In Google Cloud Console, go to Billing > Budgets and Alerts. Set a budget (even $10 per month) so you get notified if something unexpected happens.
Restrict your key. In AI Studio, you can limit which APIs your key can access. Restrict it to the Generative Language API only.
Troubleshooting
"Invalid API key" error in Praxiss Double-check you copied the full key. Keys are long strings with no spaces. Also confirm you selected Google Gemini as the provider, not a different one.
"Quota exceeded" or rate limit errors You've hit the free-tier limits. Either wait (limits reset daily) or set up billing to move to the paid tier.
"Permission denied" error Your Google Cloud project may not have the Generative Language API enabled. Go to console.cloud.google.com/apis, search for "Generative Language API," and enable it.
Slow responses Try switching to a faster model. Gemini 2.0 Flash and 2.5 Flash-Lite are the quickest. Pro models are slower because they do more processing.
Key works in AI Studio but not in Praxiss Check for extra spaces or line breaks in the pasted key. Some password managers add whitespace. Copy directly from AI Studio if possible.
Which AI Provider Should You Choose?
Praxiss supports Google Gemini, OpenAI, and Anthropic (Claude) through BYOK AI. A quick comparison:
| Google Gemini | OpenAI | Anthropic (Claude) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes, generous | Limited | No |
| Cheapest option | $0.10/$0.40 per MTok | $0.25/$2.00 per MTok | $0.25/$1.25 per MTok |
| Best quality | Gemini 3 Pro | GPT-5.4 | Claude Opus 4.6 |
| Best value | Gemini 2.0 Flash | GPT-5 mini | Claude Haiku 3 |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy | Easy |
Pick Google Gemini if: you want the lowest possible cost, a free tier to test with, or your organisation already uses Google Workspace.
Pick OpenAI if: your team is already familiar with ChatGPT and you want that same model quality through the API.
Pick Anthropic if: you prioritise safety and nuance in AI outputs, or you've had good experiences with Claude.
For most small and mid-sized teams, any of the three will work well with Praxiss. The cost difference at typical usage levels is a few dollars per year. Pick the one you're most comfortable with. You can switch any time in Settings.
See also: How to set up an OpenAI API key for Praxiss | Performance management software compared
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FAQ
Do I need a Google account to get a Gemini API key? Yes. You access Google AI Studio through a Google account, either a personal Gmail or a Google Workspace work account. If your organisation uses Google Workspace, use your work account so billing is attached to the right entity.
Is the free tier sufficient for a small team? For teams under 20 people running quarterly performance reviews, the free tier will likely cover all Praxiss usage. If you run more frequent check-ins or have a larger team, you'll need to set up billing, but the costs remain low.
What happens if I rotate my key? Will Praxiss break? Only temporarily. Update your key in Praxiss Settings immediately after rotating. There will be a brief window between creating the new key and updating Praxiss where AI analysis won't function. Keep that window short (under a few minutes) and you won't notice an issue.
Can I use multiple AI providers in Praxiss? Currently, Praxiss uses one active BYOK AI provider at a time. You can switch providers in Settings whenever you want. Switching takes effect immediately for new AI analyses.
Is my review data sent to Google? When Praxiss processes a review using your Gemini key, the review text is sent to Google's API to generate the analysis. Google's API usage policies apply. If data residency or privacy is a concern, review Google's data processing terms and consider whether Gemini is the right provider for your organisation.