AI
Google Gemini
Use a paid-tier Gemini API key with ShopAssist; free-tier keys are rejected because Google may use their data.
Create a key
As of October 2026, in Google AI Studio:
- Open aistudio.google.com → Get API key and create a key in a Google Cloud project.
- In the project, enable billing (a paid tier). Free-tier keys are rejected by ShopAssist.
- Copy the key (
AIza…).
Account tier
Paid tier only. On Google's free tier, prompts and responses may be used to improve Google's products, which is not acceptable for shopper conversations. You confirm the paid tier when saving the key, and the connection test rejects keys whose errors mention the free tier (gemini_free_tier).
Recommended models
| Model | Tier | Context window | Images | Processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite gemini-3.1-flash-lite | Standard | 1,048,576 tokens | Yes | Google global |
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite gemini-3.5-flash-lite | Standard | 1,048,576 tokens | Yes | Google global |
Gemini 3.8 Flash gemini-3.8-flash | Premium | 1,048,576 tokens | Yes | Google global |
Fields
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| API key | AIza… |
| Paid tier confirmation | Required |
| Model | A model from the list or any current gemini- model |
Data location
Data location
Only paid-tier keys are accepted. Google doesn't guarantee EU processing on the Gemini API; use Vertex AI for EU residency.
Connection test
| Check | Required | What it tests | On failure |
|---|---|---|---|
auth | Yes | The key is accepted (lists models or sends a tiny request) | auth_failed, insufficient_quota, gemini_free_tier, endpoint_blocked, provider_unavailable, model_not_found |
tools | Yes | The model calls a tool with valid arguments and continues after the result | tools_unsupported: the model can't run the shopping tools |
ttft | No (degraded) | The first answer event arrives within 8 seconds | ttft_slow: works, but shoppers wait |
parallel_tools | No | Two tools are called in one step | parallel_tools_unsupported: slightly slower answers |
vision | No | The model names the colour of a test image | vision_unsupported: visual search is off |
context | Self-hosted only | A fact at the start of an 8,000-token prompt is recalled | context_too_small: the endpoint truncates prompts |
Cost
What your own AI key costs
Estimate based on list prices on 2026-09-28; your provider bills you directly.
| Provider | Model | USD per 1,000 conversations | ≈ EUR per 1,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure OpenAI | GPT-6 Luna | $3.61 | €3.10 |
| Mistral | Mistral Small 4 | $4.71 | €4.05 |
| OpenAI | GPT-5.6 Luna | $7.62 | €6.55 |
| Google Gemini | Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | $8.85 | €7.61 |
| OpenAI | GPT-5 mini | $9.85 | €8.47 |
| Google Gemini | Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | $12.02 | €10.34 |
| Mistral | Mistral Large 3 | $14.70 | €12.64 |
| OpenAI | GPT-5.4 mini | $26.55 | €22.83 |
| Anthropic | Claude Haiku 4.5 | $36.10 | €31.05 |
| Anthropic | Claude Sonnet 5 | $72.20 | €62.09 |
Troubleshooting
gemini_free_tier: enable billing on the key's Google Cloud project and test again.- 401 /
auth_failed: the key is restricted to other APIs or was deleted; check API restrictions in the Cloud console. - 429 /
rate_limitedorinsufficient_quota: raise the project's quota. model_not_found: preview models change names; choose a stable model.
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