Groq API Setup Guide

Getting Your Groq API Key

Step 1: Create a Groq Account

1. Visit console.groq.com 
2. Click “Sign Up” to create an account
3. Verify your email and complete registration

Step 2: Access API Keys

1. Log into your Groq console
2. Navigate to the “API Keys” section
3. Click “Create API Key”

Step 3: Generate and Store Key

1. Name your API key for identification
2. Copy the generated key (starts with gsk_)
3. Store it securely - you won’t see it again

Available Groq Models

Llama Models (Meta)

• llama-3.2-1b-preview - Ultra-fast 1B parameter model
• llama-3.2-3b-preview - Balanced 3B parameter model
• llama-3.2-11b-text-preview - Text-only 11B model
• llama-3.2-90b-text-preview - Large 90B text model
• llama-3.1-8b-instant - Fast 8B instruction model
• llama-3.1-70b-versatile - Versatile large model

Mixtral Models (Mistral)

• mixtral-8x7b-32768 - Mixture of experts model
• mistral-7b-instruct-v0.1 - Instruction-tuned Mistral

Gemma Models (Google)

• gemma-7b-it - Instruction-tuned Gemma
• gemma2-9b-it - Latest Gemma generation

Key Features

• Ultra-Fast Inference: Hardware-accelerated LPU™ chips
• High Throughput: Up to 750+ tokens per second
• Low Latency: Near real-time responses
• Cost-Effective: Competitive pricing per token
• OpenAI Compatible: Drop-in API replacement

Speed Performance

Groq’s LPU™ (Language Processing Unit) technology delivers:

• Llama-3.2-1b: ~750+ tokens/second
• Llama-3.1-8b: ~500+ tokens/second
• Llama-3.1-70b: ~250+ tokens/second
• Mixtral-8x7b: ~350+ tokens/second

Context Windows

• Llama 3.2 models: 128K tokens
• Llama 3.1 models: 128K tokens
• Mixtral models: 32K tokens
• Gemma models: Varies by version

Pricing

• Competitive rates: Often lower than major providers
• Pay per token: Input and output tokens charged separately
• Free tier: Available for testing and development
• Volume discounts: Available for high usage

Rate Limits

Free Tier

• Requests per minute: 30
• Requests per day: 14,400
• Tokens per minute: 6,000

Paid Tiers

• Higher rate limits based on usage plan
• Enterprise options available
• Custom limits for high-volume users

Use Cases

• Real-time chat applications
• Interactive AI assistants
• Live content generation
• Gaming and entertainment
• Developer tools and IDEs

Security Tips

• Never commit keys to version control
• Rotate keys regularly
• Monitor usage in Groq console
• Use least-privilege access principles