How to get an AI API key (Claude, Gemini, OpenAI, OpenRouter, fal.ai)

DARSKEE AI runs on your own AI account. Instead of buying credits from us, you create an API key with an AI provider and paste it into the studio. The key is like a password that lets the studio use the provider on your behalf; you pay the provider directly for what you use, usually a few cents per project for text. This guide walks you through getting a key from each supported provider in about five minutes.

Which provider should you choose?

• Anthropic (Claude) — the studio’s default and our pick for the best scripts and creative writing.
• Google Gemini — has a free tier for text models, and the same key unlocks Veo 3.1, the highest-quality video model.
• OpenAI — a solid all-rounder if you already have an OpenAI account.
• OpenRouter — one key for hundreds of models from many companies, including some free ones.
• fal.ai — for video only: Kling 3.0 is the best-value video model, and one fal key works for many other video models too.

You only need one key to start. A good beginner setup is Claude or Gemini for writing, and add a video key later when you want to render clips.

Anthropic (Claude)

1. Go to the Claude Console (platform.claude.com) and sign up or log in.
2. Open Settings → Billing and add credits. The API won’t answer until your account has a balance.
3. Open Settings → API Keys and click “Create Key”. Give it a name like “DARSKEE”.
4. Copy the key (it starts with sk-ant-). It is shown only once — if you lose it, just create a new one.

Google Gemini (and Veo video)

1. Go to Google AI Studio (aistudio.google.com) and sign in with your Google account.
2. Click “Get API key”, then “Create API key”.
3. Copy the key (it starts with AIza).
4. Text models work on the free tier. To generate video with Veo 3.1, turn on billing for the key’s Google Cloud project — Veo is not available on the free tier.

OpenAI

1. Go to the OpenAI Platform (platform.openai.com) and sign up or log in.
2. Open Billing and add a payment method or prepaid credits.
3. Open the API keys page and click “Create new secret key”.
4. Copy the key (it starts with sk-). Like Claude keys, it is shown only once.

OpenRouter

1. Go to openrouter.ai and sign in.
2. Open Keys and click “Create Key”.
3. Copy the key (it starts with sk-or-).
4. Buy credits to use paid models. Some models are free with tighter limits — good for experimenting.

fal.ai (video with Kling 3.0)

1. Go to fal.ai and sign in.
2. Open your dashboard → Keys and add a new key.
3. Copy the key exactly as shown (it looks like id:secret).
4. Add credits in Billing — video generation is paid per clip.

Add your key to DARSKEE AI

1. Open the studio and go to Settings.
2. Under “AI connection”, pick your provider, paste the key, and click “Save key”.
3. Click “Test & load models” to check it works and choose a model.
4. For video, scroll to “Video generation”, pick Google Veo 3.1 or Kling 3.0 via fal.ai, and save that key the same way.

What does it cost?

Text is cheap: analysing an idea, ranking concepts, writing a script and planning scenes usually costs a few cents, depending on the model. Video is billed per second of footage and is far more expensive. For example, Google lists Veo 3.1 at about $0.40 per second (Standard), $0.10 (Fast) and $0.05 (Lite) at 720p — so one 8-second Standard clip is roughly $3.20, while a Lite clip is about $0.40. Check each provider’s pricing page for current rates.

Keep your key safe

• Treat the key like a password: never post it online, in screenshots, or in shared documents.
• DARSKEE AI stores your key only in your own browser and sends it straight to the provider — there’s no DARSKEE server in between.
• On a shared or public computer, remove the key in Settings when you’re done.
• If a key leaks, delete it on the provider’s website and create a new one. The old key stops working immediately.

Troubleshooting

• “Your AI provider rejected the API key” — re-copy the whole key with no spaces, or create a new one.
• “Rate-limiting this key” — you’ve hit your plan’s limits or your balance is empty; add credits or wait a minute.
• “Check the model name” — click “Test & load models” and pick a model from the list your key can use.
• Veo says no models are enabled — turn on billing for your Google AI Studio key.