Get a free Groq key & your first call

Groq gives you a free API key with no credit card — just an email or Google account. In this session you get the key, make one raw call, and feel the speed difference yourself.

1. 1 Go to console.groq.com. Click 'Sign in' and use your university Google account. No credit card needed.
2. 2 Create an API key. In the left sidebar choose 'API Keys' → 'Create API key'. Copy it somewhere safe — you will not see it again.
3. 3 Open your terminal (or n8n's HTTP Request node) and run one call. Replace YOUR_KEY with your key: ` curl https://api.groq.com/openai/v1/chat/completions \ -H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY' \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ -d '{"model":"llama-3.1-8b-instant","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"Summarise the central dogma of molecular biology in 3 bullet points."}]}' `
4. 4 Read the response. The answer should appear in well under a second. That latency — not the content — is the point of this exercise.
5. 5 Check your limits. In console.groq.com, open 'Usage' → 'Rate limits'. Note that limits are per model and per organisation — multiple keys do NOT increase them.