Vertex AI in express mode is the fastest way to start building generative AI applications on Google Cloud. Signing up in express mode is quick and easy, and it doesn't require entering any billing information. After you sign up, you can access and use Google Cloud APIs in just a few steps.
Express mode eligibility
Vertex AI in express mode is separate from, and not available through, the Google Cloud Free Program. If you are in the Google Cloud Free Program, see the other quickstarts in the Get Started section to start using Generative AI on Vertex AI.
Vertex AI is available in express mode for developers that click the
Try Vertex AI Studio free
button and sign up using a @gmail.com Google Account. Accounts used
previously to access Google Cloud are ineligible for express mode and are
not shown the "Try Vertex AI Studio free" button. For example, if you used
your Google Account to create a Google Cloud free trial account, you are
not eligible to sign up in express mode with that same Google Account.
About Vertex AI in express mode
Upon completing your sign-up in express mode, you get access to the following:
- Core Vertex AI Studio features. You can test and customize prompts for different generative AI models in Vertex AI Studio in express mode, and get the corresponding code to use in your application.
- An API key.
- 90 days to try Vertex AI in express mode.
During your 90 days, you can use the Vertex AI APIs that support express mode for free up to their quotas. You can increase your quota limits at any time by enabling billing.
After enabling billing, the 90 day limit is removed, your quotas are increased, and you only pay for what you use.
The following table lists the differences between using express mode before and after enabling billing:
| Item | Before enabling billing | After enabling billing |
|---|---|---|
| Time limit | 90 days | Unlimited |
| Available services | Basic Generative AI on Vertex AI services. | Expanded Vertex AI services and select Google Cloud services. |
| Data sources | Google Drive |
|
| Quota |
|
See Rate limits. |
| Service level agreement (SLA) | None | Vertex AI SLA |
Vertex AI in express mode workflow
You can start sending requests from your application to Vertex AI APIs in three steps:
Use Vertex AI Studio in express mode to quickly try Vertex AI features.
For example, in the Google Cloud console in express mode, select Vertex AI > Freeform and use the Freeform page to create and optimize multimodal prompts using a variety of Gemini models.
Get the code for what you implemented with the UI.
On the Freeform page, click < > Get code. A panel opens showing code that programmatically sends the same requests that you implemented in the UI. You can get the code for a programming language or curl. You can use Google Colab to try the Python code.
Use your API key to authenticate with the Vertex AI API.
In the Google Cloud console in express mode, click Menu and select API Keys, and then copy your key into your code where it says
"YOUR_API_KEY". For example:def multiturn_generate_content(): vertexai.init(api_key="ABcdEfG1JKLmNoPQrS2tU...") model = GenerativeModel( "gemini-1.5-flash-001", )
What's different in express mode
Vertex AI in express mode provides a subset of the features for Generative AI on Vertex AI. Therefore, some of the Vertex AI documentation is not relevant if you signed up in express mode. For details on the available API endpoints in express mode, see the Vertex AI in express mode REST API reference.
In addition, customers in Google Cloud typically use organizations and projects to work with resources (for example, to call an API endpoint). When using Vertex AI in express mode, you don't need to worry about organizations or projects. However, you might see them mentioned in some of the Google Cloud documentation that you reference while you're using Vertex AI in express mode. You can still use the documentation, but ignore concepts and instructions that refer to organizations and projects. In addition, the location you selected when signing up in express mode is used throughout your experience.
When calling REST API endpoints in express mode, you'll use the endpoint format for express mode and specify your API key. For example:
| Standard endpoint URL | https://us-west1-aiplatform.googleapis.com/v1/projects/{project}/locations/{location}/publishers/google/models/{model}:streamGenerateContent |
| Endpoint URL in express mode | https://aiplatform.googleapis.com/v1/publishers/google/models/{model}:streamGenerateContent?key={API_KEY} |
View and manage API keys
To authenticate with Vertex AI API endpoints that support express mode, use the API key that was created for you during sign-up or any key that you've created in express mode. An API key is an encrypted string that is auto-generated for you when you sign up in express mode. These API keys can be viewed and managed on the API Keys page.
View and manage your API keys:
Go to the Vertex AI Studio Overview page in express mode.
In Google Cloud console in express mode, click Menu.
Select API Keys.
The API Keys page opens and you can use it to manage your API keys.
View quotas
Your free use of Vertex AI in express mode is restricted by quotas. These quotas restrict the rate at which you can use Vertex AI in express mode at no cost. A quota limits how much of a Google Cloud resource you can use.
View your current usage and quotas:
Go to the Vertex AI Studio Overview page in express mode.
In Google Cloud console in express mode, click Menu.
Select Quotas.
Enable and manage billing
You can increase your quotas and remove the 90 day limit by enabling billing.
After enabling billing, you only pay for what you use. You also get the ability to save your prompts. And you get access to additional settings that were previously grayed out in the console.
View your current usage and quotas:
Go to the Vertex AI Studio Overview page in express mode.
In Google Cloud console in express mode, click Menu.
Select Billing.
What's next
- Try the Vertex AI Studio tutorial for Vertex AI in express mode.
- Try the API tutorial for Vertex AI in express mode.
- See the complete API reference for Vertex AI in express mode.