Get your own free AI key (Mistral)
With your own key, you can use DigiBot Studio in the workshop and keep using it at home — with your own free credit and your own limits. No credit card needed.
Why get your own key?
🏠 Build in class and at home
Use DigiBot Studio today and after the workshop — no class code needed.
🎁 $10 free credit every month
Mistral's free API plan gives you $10 of credit per month. It resets on the 1st of each month.
💳 No credit card
The free plan doesn't ask for payment details. If a screen asks for a card, you're on the wrong option.
🙋 Your own limits
Your key uses your credit only. You don't share the class budget and you never wait in the class queue.
Everyone gets their ownIf every participant creates their own key, each person has their own $10 of free credit per month. Nobody runs out because of someone else — as long as you keep your key secret.
Free plans change often. The Mistral console always shows your current credit and limits.
What is an API key?
An API is a doorway that lets one program talk to another. An API key is a long secret code that opens that door on your account. DigiBot Studio uses it to send your prompts to Mistral's AI. Treat it exactly like a password.
Before you start
- You must be 18 or older.
- An email address, or a Google, Microsoft or Apple account.
- Your phone — Mistral may send you a code by SMS to check you're a real person.
- About 10 minutes.
Step 1 · Create your key
- Go to the Mistral consoleOpen console.mistral.ai (opens in a new tab). The "console" is Mistral's control panel for developers.
- Sign up or log inUse your email address, or sign in with Google, Microsoft or Apple.
- Create a workspace and accept the termsA workspace is like a folder for your keys. Give it any name, for example "My projects". Read the terms and accept them. If you are asked to choose a plan, choose the free one.
- Verify your phone (if asked)Type your phone number with the country code, then enter the code you get by SMS.
- Open "API Keys"Find it in the menu of the console.
- Click "Create new key"Fill in the form like in the illustration below.
- Click "Create" — and copy your key right awayThe full key is shown only once. Copy it now and paste it straight into DigiBot Studio (Step 3).
- Key name: "DigiBot". Just a label, so you remember what the key is for.
- Workspace: "Default Workspace". Or the workspace you just created.
- Expiration: pick a date, for example 1 month from today. The key stops working on that date, so a forgotten key can't be misused forever. When it expires, simply create a new one.
- Connector access scope: "Shared connectors only". Connectors are extra tools a key could use. DigiBot doesn't need them, so choose the most limited option.
Copy it now — it's shown only onceAfter you close the window, you can never see the full key again. Lost it? No problem: delete it in the console and create a new one. It takes one minute.
Step 2 · Switch off training on your data
On the free plan, Mistral may use what you send to improve its AI models. You can switch this off — it takes 30 seconds.
- Open "Admin"Find the admin or organisation settings in the console menu.
- Go to "Privacy"
- Turn off "Anonymous improvement data"Make sure the switch is off, then save if there is a save button. If you see more than one of these switches (for example one for the API and one for another Mistral tool), turn them all off.
Step 3 · Use your key in DigiBot Studio
- Open DigiBot StudioOn your own computer, open the Studio page of this site.
- Click ⚙️ "Use my own key"This opens the key settings.
- Paste your keyPress Ctrl+V (on a Mac Cmd+V) in the key field.
- Click "Test"DigiBot sends a tiny request to check that the key works.
- Click "Save"Done! DigiBot now talks to Mistral directly from your browser, using your own credit.
"Remember on this device" — only on your own computerIf you tick it, the key stays saved in this browser. On a shared or school computer, leave it off: then the key is forgotten when you close the tab.
Keep your key safe
Four rules — no exceptions
- Never share your key or post it anywhere — not in a chat, a screenshot or a social-media post.
- Never put it in a website's code. Anyone can read a website's code (try Ctrl+U!).
- Delete the key in the Mistral console when you don't need it any more.
- On shared computers, click Forget key in DigiBot Studio when you're done.
Think your key has leaked? Delete it in the console right away and create a new one.
Your limits, explained
| Limit | What it means | If you hit it |
|---|---|---|
| 🚦 Speed limits | How fast you may send requests — for example a number of requests per second and tokens (pieces of text) per minute. The console shows your exact limits (look for “Limits” in the Admin area). | You get a short "too many requests" error. Wait a few seconds and try again. |
| 🎁 Monthly credit | $10 of free credit per month, reset on the 1st. Every request uses a little, depending on how much text goes in and out. The credit is for your whole Mistral account, so Mistral's own online tools use it too. | Requests stop working until the 1st of next month. |
How far does $10 go? For a student website project, usually a long way — often hundreds of DigiBot requests. Small edits and Click to edit use much less than rebuilding the whole page.
What does "used up" look like? DigiBot shows an error and new requests don't get an answer. Careful: Mistral may then say “Unauthorized” or “invalid key”, even though your key is fine. In the Mistral console you can check how much credit you've used.
Troubleshooting
DigiBot says my key doesn't work
- Copy the key again. Make sure you copied the whole key, with no space at the start or end.
- A brand-new key can take a minute or two to start working. Wait, then click Test again.
- Check in the console that the key still exists and hasn't expired.
- Finished the phone check? Some accounts need it before keys work.
- Worked before, and now it says “Unauthorized”? Your monthly credit may be used up — check your usage in the console.
- Ad blockers, privacy extensions and some school or office Wi-Fi networks can block the connection to Mistral. Pause the blocker for this site, or try another network (for example your phone's hotspot).
- Still stuck? Delete the key and create a new one.
The SMS code doesn't arrive
- Wait a few minutes — SMS can be slow.
- Check the country code (for example +90 for Turkey, +49 for Germany).
- Too many tries can be blocked for a while. Try again later.
- Try another method: for example sign in with a Google, Microsoft or Apple account instead.
It says my credit is used up or I've hit a limit
- "Too many requests": that's the speed limit. Wait a few seconds.
- Monthly credit used up: it comes back on the 1st of next month. (The error may look like “Unauthorized”.)
- In the meantime, keep building with a free chat app — see Keep building at home.
The console asks for a credit card
You are probably choosing a paid plan. Go back and choose the free option. You never need to enter payment details for this guide.
I lost my key
You can't view a key again after creating it. Delete the old key in the console and create a new one — then paste the new one into DigiBot Studio.
Where does my data go?With your own key, your prompts go from your browser directly to Mistral AI. Our server never sees your key or your prompts. Read more in our privacy notice.