API‐Setup - Life-Experimentalist/NovelSynth GitHub Wiki

API Setup Guide

🔧 Comprehensive API Configuration

This guide covers detailed setup for all supported AI providers in NovelSynth.

🤖 Supported AI Providers

🥇 Google Gemini (Recommended)

  • Free Tier: Generous free usage limits
  • Models: Gemini 1.5 Flash, Gemini 1.5 Pro
  • Best For: General content enhancement, summarization
  • Response Speed: Fast

🧠 OpenAI

  • Models: GPT-4, GPT-3.5 Turbo
  • Best For: High-quality text generation, complex analysis
  • Pricing: Pay-per-use
  • Response Speed: Moderate

🎭 Anthropic Claude (Coming Soon)

  • Models: Claude 3 Sonnet, Claude 3 Opus
  • Best For: Long-form content, detailed analysis
  • Status: Integration in development

🔑 API Key Setup

Google Gemini Setup

Step 1: Get Your API Key

  1. Visit Google AI Studio: makersuite.google.com
  2. Sign In: Use your Google account
  3. Create Project (if needed): Click "Create new project"
  4. Generate Key: Click "Get API Key" → "Create API Key in new project"
  5. Copy Key: Save the key securely (starts with AIza)

Step 2: Configure in NovelSynth

  1. Open NovelSynth extension popup
  2. Click "Settings" tab
  3. Select "Google Gemini" as provider
  4. Paste your API key in the field
  5. Choose your preferred model:
    • Gemini 1.5 Flash: Faster, good for most tasks
    • Gemini 1.5 Pro: More capable, better for complex tasks
  6. Click "Test Connection"
  7. Save settings

Step 3: Usage Limits (Free Tier)

  • Requests: 15 requests per minute
  • Tokens: 1 million tokens per day
  • Rate Limiting: Built-in retry logic

OpenAI Setup

Step 1: Get Your API Key

  1. Visit OpenAI Platform: platform.openai.com
  2. Create Account: Sign up or log in
  3. Add Payment Method: Go to Billing → Payment methods
  4. Add Credits: Purchase credits for API usage
  5. Generate Key: API Keys → Create new secret key
  6. Copy Key: Save the key securely (starts with sk-)

Step 2: Configure in NovelSynth

  1. Open NovelSynth extension popup
  2. Click "Settings" tab
  3. Select "OpenAI" as provider
  4. Paste your API key in the field
  5. Choose your preferred model:
    • GPT-3.5 Turbo: Faster, more economical
    • GPT-4: Highest quality, more expensive
  6. Click "Test Connection"
  7. Save settings

Step 3: Usage and Pricing

  • GPT-3.5 Turbo: ~$0.002 per 1K tokens
  • GPT-4: ~$0.03 per 1K tokens
  • Rate Limits: 3 requests per minute (free tier)
  • Monitoring: Check usage at platform.openai.com

⚙️ Advanced Configuration

Model Selection Strategy

For Different Content Types

Novel/Fiction Content:
- Primary: Gemini 1.5 Pro (creative, context-aware)
- Alternative: GPT-4 (high quality)

Technical Documentation:
- Primary: GPT-4 (precise, factual)
- Alternative: Gemini 1.5 Flash (fast)

News Articles:
- Primary: Gemini 1.5 Flash (quick summaries)
- Alternative: GPT-3.5 Turbo (economical)

Academic Papers:
- Primary: GPT-4 (detailed analysis)
- Alternative: Gemini 1.5 Pro (comprehensive)

Rate Limiting Configuration

Automatic Rate Limiting

NovelSynth includes built-in rate limiting:

  • Request Queuing: Automatically queues requests
  • Exponential Backoff: Gradually increases wait time
  • Error Recovery: Retries failed requests

Custom Rate Limits

You can configure custom limits in Settings:

{
  "requestsPerMinute": 10,
  "requestsPerHour": 100,
  "requestsPerDay": 1000,
  "retryAfter": 60,
  "backoffMultiplier": 2
}

API Endpoint Configuration

Custom Base URLs

For enterprise or alternative endpoints:

OpenAI Compatible APIs:

Azure OpenAI: https://your-resource.openai.azure.com/
OpenRouter: https://openrouter.ai/api/v1
Local LLaMA: http://localhost:8080/v1

Gemini Alternatives:

Vertex AI: https://us-central1-aiplatform.googleapis.com/

🔒 Security Best Practices

API Key Security

  • Never Share: Don't share API keys publicly
  • Rotation: Rotate keys periodically
  • Scope Limiting: Use minimum required permissions
  • Monitoring: Monitor usage for unusual activity

Local Storage

  • Encryption: API keys are encrypted locally
  • No Cloud Storage: Keys never leave your browser
  • Clear on Uninstall: Keys are removed when extension is uninstalled

Network Security

  • HTTPS Only: All API calls use encrypted connections
  • No Logging: Content is not logged by NovelSynth
  • Direct Calls: No intermediate servers

🧪 Testing Your Setup

Connection Test

  1. Basic Test: Use "Test Connection" button
  2. Feature Test: Try enhancing sample text
  3. Error Handling: Verify error messages appear correctly

Sample Test Content

Use this text to test your setup:

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. This sentence contains
every letter of the alphabet and is commonly used for testing. It
demonstrates how well the AI can enhance or analyze simple content.

Expected Results

  • Enhancement: Improved grammar and style
  • Summarization: Brief summary of the content
  • Analysis: Insights about the text structure

❗ Troubleshooting

Common API Errors

Invalid API Key

Error: Invalid API key
Solution: Double-check key format and regenerate if needed

Rate Limit Exceeded

Error: Rate limit exceeded
Solution: Wait and retry, or upgrade your plan

Network Errors

Error: Network request failed
Solution: Check internet connection and firewall settings

Provider-Specific Issues

Google Gemini

  • Geographic Restrictions: Not available in all countries
  • Model Availability: Some models may be temporarily unavailable
  • Quota Limits: Free tier has daily limits

OpenAI

  • Billing Issues: Ensure valid payment method
  • Model Access: Some models require special access
  • Usage Monitoring: Track costs in dashboard

📊 Usage Monitoring

Built-in Monitoring

NovelSynth tracks:

  • Request Count: Daily/weekly/monthly usage
  • Token Usage: Input/output token consumption
  • Error Rates: Failed request tracking
  • Response Times: Performance monitoring

External Monitoring

Check your provider dashboards:

  • Gemini: Google AI Studio usage page
  • OpenAI: Platform usage dashboard

🔄 Switching Providers

Migration Guide

  1. Setup New Provider: Configure new API key
  2. Test Functionality: Verify new provider works
  3. Update Defaults: Change default provider in settings
  4. Remove Old Keys: Delete unused API keys for security

Provider Comparison

Feature Gemini OpenAI Notes
Free Tier ✅ Yes ❌ No Gemini offers generous free usage
Quality ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ OpenAI slightly higher quality
Speed ⚡ Fast ⚡ Moderate Gemini generally faster
Cost 💰 Free/Low 💰 Moderate Significant cost difference

🔗 Next Steps

Need Help? Join our Community Forum for API setup assistance.