How to Get an API Key

Waffler needs an API key to convert your speech into clean, styled text. Think of it as a password that connects the app to the AI service. It takes about 2 minutes to set up.

You only need one key to get started — Groq. It's free, fast, and covers most everyday usage. The Cerebras and OpenAI keys below are optional extras for power users who want extra speed, paid capacity, or a backup.

Your API key is private — treat it like a password. Never share it publicly, paste it in a chat, or commit it to code. Waffler stores it locally on your machine and never sends it anywhere except directly to the API provider.

How Waffler picks which provider to use

If you add more than one key, Waffler tries them in this order on every dictation:

  1. 1. Groq — used first, so its free tier gets spent before any paid tokens.
  2. 2. Cerebras — used when Groq is exhausted, errored, or you haven't added a Groq key.
  3. 3. OpenAI — last-resort fallback if both above are unavailable.

You can add any subset — just Groq, all three, or any combination.

1

Groq Recommended

Groq is fast and has a generous free tier — most users never need to pay. This is the best option for getting started.

1

Create a Groq account

Go to console.groq.com and sign up with Google or email. It's free.

2

Create an API key

Once logged in, go to console.groq.com/keys. Click "Create API Key", give it a name (e.g. "Waffler"), and click create.

3

Copy the key

Your key will start with gsk_. Copy it immediately — Groq only shows it once. If you lose it, just create a new one.

4

Paste it into Waffler

Open Waffler, and the setup wizard will ask for your API key. Paste it in and you're done.

2

Cerebras Optional — fastest paid option

Cerebras runs Qwen-3 235B at ~500ms — the fastest large-model styling available anywhere. It's pay-as-you-go: a $10 top-up typically lasts a few months at normal use. Recommended if you find Groq's free tier runs out during heavy days, or you just want maximum speed.

1

Create a Cerebras account

Go to cloud.cerebras.ai and sign up. There's a free tier (1M tokens/day on Qwen-3 235B) you can use before adding any credit.

2

Add credit (optional, recommended)

For unrestricted speed and rate limits, go to Billing and add $10. The free tier shares capacity with everyone and can be slow during peak hours; paid tier gets dedicated queue priority (~500ms response, 500 requests/min). $10 lasts most users 3-6 months.

3

Create an API key

Go to cloud.cerebras.ai/platform/api-keys. Click "Create API Key", name it "Waffler", and copy the key (it starts with csk-).

4

Paste it into Waffler

In Waffler, go to Settings → API Keys → Cerebras and paste the key. If you already have a Groq key set up, Waffler will keep using Groq first and switch to Cerebras automatically when Groq's daily limit is hit.

3

OpenAI Optional — last-resort fallback

OpenAI's GPT-4.1-mini is supported as a fallback for the rare case both Groq and Cerebras are unavailable. It's pay-as-you-go — roughly $0.003 per minute of audio for transcription (Waffler defaults to gpt-4o-mini-transcribe, the newer, cheaper Whisper variant), plus a small per-token charge for styling (~$0.0003 per typical dictation). You only need this if you want maximum redundancy.

1

Create an OpenAI account

Go to platform.openai.com/signup and create an account. This is the API platform — it's separate from ChatGPT.

2

Add credit

Go to Billing and add a small amount of credit ($5 is plenty to start — it'll last hundreds of transcriptions).

3

Create an API key

Go to platform.openai.com/api-keys. Click "Create new secret key", name it "Waffler", and click create.

4

Copy the key

Your key will start with sk-. Copy it immediately — OpenAI only shows it once.

5

Paste it into Waffler

Open Waffler, and the setup wizard will ask for your API key. Paste it in and you're done.

Got your key? You're all set.

Download Waffler