What is the key?
A Gemini API key is a personal credential from Google. It tells Google’s servers that you are allowed to use the Gemini model. Crujd sends your job description and résumé text to Google only when you click Crush this JD or run Insights — using this key, not Crujd’s servers.
The key is stored in your browser by the extension (chrome.storage.local). Crujd does not upload it to a Crujd backend.
What does it cost?
Crujd itself is free. Each Crush sends one analysis request to Google using your Gemini key (Insights may add occasional extra requests). Limits and billing are entirely between you and Google. Many people stay within Google’s free tier for light job-search use.
On Google’s paid tier, typical use will likely cost $3 or less per month*. This is an illustrative estimate based on Google’s published Gemini pricing and real Crujd usage — not a quote. Actual cost may be higher or lower.
In Google AI Studio you can also set a monthly spend cap so charges stop once you hit the limit you chose — a simple way to keep costs predictable.
* Typical use here means roughly up to about 10 Crushes a day with two short résumés (about two pages each) and ordinary-length job postings. Longer documents, heavier Insights use, free vs paid tier, and Google’s then-current rates all change the total. Check Gemini API pricing and your usage in Google AI Studio before heavy use. Rate limits (HTTP 429) come from Google — wait and retry, or review your quota there.
How to get a key
- Open Google AI Studio and sign in with a Google account.
- Follow Google’s prompts to create an API key (often labeled Get API key or similar in AI Studio). UI labels can change; use Google’s current screens.
- Copy the key — it usually starts with
AIza. - In Crujd, open Options (side panel Set API key, or right-click the extension icon → Options).
- Paste the key and click Save.
How to use it in Crujd
- Upload a PDF or DOCX résumé in the side panel.
- Open a public job posting in Chrome (or paste the JD in the panel).
- Click Crush this JD (or Run with pasted JD).
Security
Treat your key like a password. Do not share it. If it leaks, revoke or rotate it in Google AI Studio / Google Cloud. Anyone with your key can use Gemini under your Google account’s quotas and billing.