Setup Guide

How to get your AI key.

Don't worry — this is way easier than it sounds. Pick one of the AI providers below and follow the steps. Most people are done in under two minutes.

? Why do I need a key?

ARIA isn't an AI by herself — she's the friendly face that talks to one. To "think," she needs to send your messages to an AI like Google Gemini, ChatGPT (OpenAI), or Claude (Anthropic) and get back a response. Those AI companies require a key to identify you.

The key is just a long line of letters and numbers. You stay in control: your messages go directly to your chosen AI provider, not through us.

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Step 1 for every provider: create an account with them first. You can't get a key without signing up for that AI company's website (Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.). Each section below tells you exactly which site to go to.
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Costs to expect:
  • Google Gemini: requires a Google AI Pro subscription (currently around $20/month). Single subscription, unlimited use within their daily quotas.
  • OpenAI (ChatGPT), Anthropic (Claude), OpenRouter, xAI (Grok): pay-as-you-go. You pre-purchase a small amount of credit (usually $5–$10) and get charged a fraction of a cent per message. $5 typically lasts months for casual journaling.
  • ElevenLabs (voice, optional): free tier covers ~10,000 characters/month of speech.
ARIA itself never charges you for usage — only your AI provider does.

Which one should I pick?

If you don't have a preference, just pick Google Gemini — it's the easiest to set up and has a generous free tier.

Google Gemini EASIEST Free tier. Sign in with your Google account. OpenRouter Free tier. One key, many AI models. Anthropic Claude Smartest writing. Small free credit. OpenAI (ChatGPT) Famous brand. Pay-as-you-go. xAI (Grok) Elon's AI. Pay-as-you-go. ElevenLabs (Voice) Optional. For ARIA to speak out loud.
G

Google Gemini

by Google · the easiest option for most people
Best for: most people who want a single flat-rate subscription. Cost: requires a Google AI Pro subscription, currently around $20/month. No per-use charges on top — just the monthly fee.
  1. Sign in to your Google Account (or create one)

    You need a Google account — the same kind you use for Gmail or YouTube. If you don't have one, go to accounts.google.com/signup and create one (free, takes 2 minutes).

  2. Subscribe to Google AI Pro

    Open gemini.google.com and look for the upgrade button (usually labeled "Try Pro" or "Upgrade to Pro"). Subscribe at the listed monthly rate (~$20/month). You may get a free trial month depending on Google's current promotion.

  3. Open Google AI Studio in a new tab

    This is where you create the API key itself. Click the button below and sign in with the same Google account.

    Open AI Studio →
  4. Click the "Create API key" button

    It's usually a blue button near the top of the page. Google may ask you to agree to terms of service — click Yes / Agree to continue. If it asks you to pick a Google Cloud project, just accept the default suggestion.

  5. Copy the key that appears

    Google will show you a long string of letters and numbers. It looks something like this:

    What you'll see
    AIzaSyAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

    Click the copy icon next to the key (it looks like two overlapping squares), or select the whole line and press Ctrl+C (Windows) / Cmd+C (Mac).

    ⚠
    Don't share this key with anyone. Treat it like a password. If someone else gets it, they can use AI on your account.
  6. Come back to ARIA and paste it in

    Open ARIA's Settings (the gear icon in the top right of the chat). Find the box labeled "Google Gemini" under API Keys. Click in the box and paste your key (right-click → Paste, or Ctrl+V / Cmd+V).

  7. Click Save

    That's it. Go back to the chat. Pick a Gemini model from the dropdown (Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite is a great daily-use choice). Start chatting.

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Recommended model: Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite. Fast, cheap, totally free for normal use. You can always switch later.
OR

OpenRouter

one key, dozens of AI models from different companies
Best for: people who want access to many different AI models with one account. Cost: pay-as-you-go — you'll pre-purchase credits (start with $5 or $10), and each message uses a fraction of a cent. $5 typically lasts months of normal journaling.
  1. Create your OpenRouter account

    Click the button below. Sign up with your email or a Google/GitHub account. You must have an OpenRouter account before you can get a key.

    Sign up at OpenRouter →
  2. Add credits to your account

    Click your profile icon (top-right) → "Credits". Add $5 or $10 with a credit card. This is what funds your AI usage. You won't be auto-charged later — when credits run out, you just add more.

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    $5 of OpenRouter credit lasts a casual journaler 2–6 months depending on which model you use. Most chats cost a tenth of a cent.
  3. Go to the "Keys" page

    From your profile menu, click "Keys" (or just go to openrouter.ai/keys).

  4. Click "Create Key"

    Give the key a name like "ARIA Journal" so you remember what it's for. Leave the credit limit blank (or set a small dollar limit if you want to be cautious). Click Create.

  5. Copy the key right away

    OpenRouter only shows you the full key once. It looks like:

    What you'll see
    sk-or-v1-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

    Hit the copy button before closing the dialog. If you miss it, just delete the key and create a new one — takes 10 seconds.

  6. Paste it into ARIA Settings

    Open Settings → find the "OpenRouter" field → paste → Save.

A

Anthropic (Claude)

by Anthropic · widely considered the smartest AI for thoughtful writing
Best for: people who want the most natural-sounding journal entries. Claude is exceptional at writing in your voice. Cost: pay-as-you-go — you'll pre-purchase credits (minimum $5). $5 typically lasts a casual journaler many weeks.
  1. Create your Anthropic account

    Click below and sign up. You'll need an email and a phone number for verification. Account creation must be completed before you can buy credits or create a key.

    Sign up at Anthropic →
  2. Buy credits

    In the Console, look for "Plans & Billing" in the sidebar. Click "Buy Credits" — minimum is usually $5. Add a credit card and complete the purchase. This is your pool of AI usage.

  3. Find the API Keys page

    In the left sidebar look for "API Keys" (sometimes nested under "Settings"). Click it.

  4. Click "Create Key"

    Name it "ARIA Journal". Click Create.

  5. Copy the key immediately

    Like OpenRouter, Anthropic only shows the key once. Format:

    What you'll see
    sk-ant-api03-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

    Click the copy icon. Don't close the dialog until you've pasted it somewhere safe (or directly into ARIA).

  6. Paste into ARIA Settings

    Settings → "Anthropic (Claude)" field → paste → Save.

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Recommended model: Claude 3.5 Haiku for daily use (fast, cheap), or Claude Sonnet 4 when you want extra-thoughtful writing.
AI

OpenAI (ChatGPT)

by OpenAI · the makers of ChatGPT
Best for: people who already trust the ChatGPT brand. Note: a paid ChatGPT Plus subscription does NOT include API access — those are billed separately. Cost: pay-as-you-go — you must pre-purchase credits (minimum $5). $5 typically lasts months of casual journaling.
  1. Create your OpenAI account

    You need an OpenAI account first — separate from any ChatGPT account you might already have. Sign up at the link below with your email; verify with a phone number.

    Sign up at OpenAI Platform →
  2. Add a payment method

    Go to Billing in the sidebar → add a credit card → add a small amount of credit (start with $5 — that lasts months for journaling).

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    Set a usage limit. In Billing, go to Limits and set a hard monthly cap (e.g. $5/month). This prevents surprise charges if anything goes wrong.
  3. Go to API Keys

    Click "API Keys" in the sidebar (or visit platform.openai.com/api-keys).

  4. Click "Create new secret key"

    Name it ARIA Journal. Permission: All is fine. Click Create.

  5. Copy the key — only shown once

    OpenAI keys look like:

    What you'll see
    sk-proj-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
  6. Paste into ARIA Settings

    Settings → "OpenAI" field → paste → Save.

X

xAI (Grok)

by xAI · Elon Musk's AI company
Best for: people who want a more irreverent, less filtered AI personality. Cost: pay-as-you-go — you'll pre-purchase credits in your xAI account.
  1. Create your xAI account

    Click below and sign up (email + phone verification). Account first, key second.

    Sign up at xAI →
  2. Add credits

    In the xAI Console, find "Credits" or "Billing". Add a credit card and pre-purchase credit (start with $5).

  3. Go to API Keys

    In the dashboard, find "API Keys" in the left sidebar.

  4. Click "Create API Key"

    Name it ARIA Journal. Save.

  5. Copy the key
    What you'll see
    xai-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
  6. Paste into ARIA Settings

    Settings → "Grok (xAI)" field → paste → Save.

11

ElevenLabs (Voice)

optional · gives ARIA a real human-sounding voice
Best for: people who want to hear ARIA respond in a natural, expressive voice instead of just reading her replies. Free tier: ~10,000 characters per month (plenty for occasional voice playback).
  1. Sign up at ElevenLabs

    Click below. Free signup with email or Google.

    Sign up at ElevenLabs →
  2. Go to your Profile / API Key

    Click your profile picture in the top-right → "Profile + API Key".

  3. Click the eye icon to reveal the key

    Then click the copy icon next to it.

    What you'll see
    xi-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
  4. Paste into ARIA Settings

    Settings → "ElevenLabs (Voice)" field → paste → Save. Click the speaker icon in the chat to enable voice output.

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You don't need ElevenLabs to use ARIA — it's purely for the spoken-voice feature. Skip it if you prefer reading replies.

You're done. Now go talk to ARIA.

Once any one of these keys is saved in Settings, the model dropdown unlocks and you can chat. Pick a model, send your first message, and ARIA will start remembering you.

Open ARIA →

Frequently asked questions

How much will this actually cost me?

Two cost shapes depending on which provider you pick:

Google Gemini — flat subscription. ~$20/month for Google AI Pro. Use it as much as you want within Google's daily quotas. Best if you'll journal a lot and want one predictable bill.

OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, xAI — pre-paid credits. You buy $5 or $10 of credit upfront from the provider, and each AI message costs a fraction of a cent. $5 typically lasts a casual journaler 1–6 months. When credits run low, you decide whether to add more.

ARIA itself never charges per-message fees on top — only the AI provider does, and only for what you actually use.

Will my journal entries be sent to the AI provider?

Yes — that's how the AI generates the reply and the journal entry. Your message + a small amount of context (your name, what ARIA already knows about you, recent conversation) is sent to whichever provider's key you saved. The provider returns a reply, then ARIA writes your journal entry from that.

The provider's privacy policy applies to that part. Gemini and OpenRouter don't train on API data by default. OpenAI also doesn't train on API data unless you opt in. We never see your conversations — they go directly between your browser and the provider.

Is my key safe? Can other ARIA users see it?

No. Your key is stored only in your account and is masked everywhere it's displayed (you only ever see ***SET*** after saving). Other users cannot see your key. You can change or delete it any time from Settings.

Can I use more than one provider's key?

Yes — add as many as you want. The model dropdown will show every model from every provider you have a key for. Switch between them any time. Many people add Gemini for daily use and Claude for special moments.

What if I lose my key or it stops working?

Just create a new one on the provider's website (same steps as above) and paste the new one into ARIA's Settings. Don't worry — your journal, profile, and conversation history all stay safe in your ARIA account, separate from the AI key.

Why doesn't ARIA include AI access by default?

Two reasons. One: AI providers charge per use, and bundling someone else's quota means we'd have to limit you (rate limits, message caps, smaller model). With your own key, you get the full experience with no artificial limits. Two: with your key, your data goes directly to the provider you chose. We never sit in the middle and could not read your conversations even if we wanted to.

I'm stuck. Help?

Email hello@theariajournal.com with which provider you tried and where you got stuck. We'll walk you through it.