API KEYS · GUIDE 1 OF 7
How to get a free Groq API key
The easiest first key: email signup, no card, very fast open models.
- You need
- Email or Google/GitHub sign-in. No card.
- Free allowance
- Free plan with per-model rate limits (commonly about 30 requests per minute; daily caps differ by model — from about 1,000 to 14,400 requests per day). Live numbers are on the Limits page in the console.
- Best for
- Every free tool on this site. Fast drafts, chatbots, Telegram/Discord bots.
- Region notes
- Groq is a US company and blocks countries under US sanctions. Most of Africa, Asia and Latin America can sign up. If the console says your region is unsupported, use OpenRouter or Gemini instead.
- Key looks like
gsk_…
Step by step
- Open console.groq.com and choose “Sign up” — email, Google or GitHub all work.
- Confirm your email if asked. You land on the Playground.
- Click “API Keys” in the left menu, then “Create API Key”.
- Name it after where it will be used, e.g. “open-practice-browser”. Click Submit.
- Copy the key now — it starts with gsk_ and is shown only once. Paste it into a password manager or a private note.
- On Open Practice, open Key settings, choose Groq, paste the key and press “Test key”. You should see a list of models.
Use it on Open Practice
Paste the key into Key settings and press Test key. Then open any free tool and choose “Draft with my AI key”. The key stays in your browser.
If something goes wrong
| 401 / invalid API key | You copied part of the key or it was deleted. Create a new one. |
|---|---|
| 429 rate limit | You hit the per-minute or daily cap. Wait a minute or switch provider. |
| Model not found | Models are retired from time to time. Press “Test key” to pick a current one. |
Keep your key safe
- Treat a key like a password: never post it in chats, screenshots, GitHub or website code.
- Create one key per project so you can delete just that one if it leaks.
- If a key leaks, delete it in the provider console immediately and create a new one.
- Prefer free-only keys (for example, OpenRouter with a $0 credit limit) so a leak cannot cost money.
- On a shared or public computer, do not tick “remember on this device”, and press “Forget all keys” when you finish.
Other free keys
GUIDEGoogle Gemini (AI Studio)Generous free tier on Gemini Flash models with a Google account.GUIDEOpenRouterOne key for many models, including a rotating set of free ones.GUIDEMistralFree “Experiment” plan covering Mistral’s model line-up, with phone verification.GUIDECerebrasExtremely fast inference — but check whether a card is now required.GUIDECloudflare Workers AIFree daily AI allowance inside the same account that hosts your Workers and bots.GUIDEHugging FaceThe home of open models. Great for discovery; hosted inference now needs credits.
Questions people ask
Is Groq free?
Free plan with per-model rate limits (commonly about 30 requests per minute; daily caps differ by model — from about 1,000 to 14,400 requests per day). Live numbers are on the Limits page in the console.
Do I need a credit card for Groq?
Email or Google/GitHub sign-in. No card.
Is Groq available in my country?
Groq is a US company and blocks countries under US sanctions. Most of Africa, Asia and Latin America can sign up. If the console says your region is unsupported, use OpenRouter or Gemini instead.