Setup with Gemini API Key

Time needed: ~2 minutes Difficulty: Easy — no cloud project required

This is the recommended setup for most users. You’ll get a free API key from Google that lets Golden Retriever embed and search your documents using Google’s Gemini AI.

Step 1: Get your API key

Open Google AI Studio in your browser
Sign in with your Google account (any Google account works)
Click “Create API Key”
Select “Create API key in new project” (or use an existing project)
Your API key will appear — copy it

[Screenshot placeholder: Google AI Studio API key creation page, highlighting the “Create API Key” button]

[Screenshot placeholder: The generated API key dialog with the copy button highlighted]

Step 2: Paste into Golden Retriever

Launch Golden Retriever
The setup wizard appears automatically on first launch
Click “Gemini API Key” (the recommended option)
Paste your API key into the field
Choose your privacy tier:
- Free Tier — No cost. Google may use your data to improve their products.
- Paid Tier — Pay-as-you-go ($0.20 per million tokens). Google does NOT use your data.
Click “Validate & Continue”

[Screenshot placeholder: Golden Retriever setup wizard welcome screen with two options]

[Screenshot placeholder: API key entry screen with privacy tier selector]

Step 3: You’re done

After validation succeeds, you’ll see the confirmation screen. Click “Get Started” and you’re ready to use Golden Retriever.

Next steps:

Click Library in the sidebar to add folders to your knowledge base
Golden Retriever will automatically embed your documents
Use Search or Ask AI to query your knowledge base

[Screenshot placeholder: “You’re all set!” confirmation screen]

Privacy & Data

Your files stay on your Mac. Golden Retriever never uploads your documents to any server.
Embeddings are processed by Google. Text and file content is sent directly from your Mac to Google’s Gemini API for embedding. Golden Retriever (the company) never sees this data.
Free tier: Google may use data sent through the free tier to improve their products.
Paid tier: Google does NOT use your data. Upgrade at Google AI Studio to opt out.
Embedding data is processed in the US (us-central1). There is no EU region option for this model on either platform currently.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
”API key is not authorized”	Make sure you copied the full key. Try creating a new one.
”Network error”	Check your internet connection. The app needs to reach `generativelanguage.googleapis.com`.
”Rate limited”	You’ve hit the free tier limit. Wait a minute and try again, or upgrade to paid tier.
Validation passes but embedding fails	Your key works but may have been restricted. Go to AI Studio and check for restrictions.

Switching to Google Cloud (Vertex AI)

If you later need EU data residency or want costs on your GCP bill, you can switch:

Open Settings → Cloud tab
Click “Switch to Google Cloud (Vertex AI)”
Follow the Vertex AI setup guide

Your existing embeddings and search data will continue to work — both paths use the same model.