Using free stock-photo keys from Pexels and Unsplash

First things first: this is completely optional. NerrieBuilder already finds free photos for you automatically through Openverse, with nothing to set up. This step is only if you want an even wider choice of images. Interested? Then you can add a free key from Pexels and/or Unsplash. You can do just one, or both.

Pexels and Unsplash are two well-known, free photo libraries. With your own key (a kind of personal access pass), NerrieBuilder can also search their collections. You create your own free account at each provider, get a key there, and paste it into NerrieBuilder. We explain both step by step below.

Part 1: A free key from Pexels

Pexels is a large library of free photos. Requesting a key is free and you get it right away.

1. Go to pexels.com/api.
2. Click the "Get Started" button.
3. Log in if you already have a Pexels account. Don't have one yet? Create one for free with your email address or via a Google/Facebook account. You don't need to enter any payment details; Pexels never asks for a credit card.
4. Pexels briefly asks what you'll use the key for. Enter a short description (for example "Photos for my website") and the name or address of your website. Then confirm.
5. You now land on your API page and you immediately see your personal API key: a long string of letters and numbers.
6. Click "Copy" next to the key, or select the string and copy it (right-click, Copy). Keep it somewhere safe for a moment.

That's it for Pexels. The free key is more than enough for a normal website. Want more later? You can ask Pexels to raise the limit for free, as long as you credit Pexels properly.

Part 2: A free key from Unsplash

Unsplash is another large free photo library. Here the key is called an "Access Key". This is free too; you create a small "project" and the key belongs to it.

1. Go to unsplash.com/developers.
2. Click "Register as a developer".
3. Log in or create a free Unsplash account with your email address. No payment method is needed here either.
4. Go to your apps overview at unsplash.com/oauth/applications and click "New Application".
5. Tick the terms (you have to check every line) and click "Accept terms".
6. Give your application a name and a short description, for example your business name and "Photos for my website". Then click "Create application".
7. You land on your new application's page. Scroll to the "Keys" section. There you'll find your "Access Key": that's the key you need. (The "Secret key" listed below it is not needed.)
8. Copy the Access Key (select and copy, or click the copy icon). Keep it somewhere safe for a moment.

Honest note on Unsplash limits: a new application is in "Demo" mode and may make 50 requests per hour. That's enough to comfortably search for photos for a normal website. If you expect a lot of traffic, you can apply to Unsplash for "Production" access; once approved it goes up to 1000 requests per hour. For most small businesses, Demo is fine.

Pasting the key(s) into NerrieBuilder

Copied a key? Here's how to paste it into NerrieBuilder:

1. Click your name/account in the top right.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Open the "AI" tab. This tab holds both the AI keys and the Stock photo keys.
4. Paste your Pexels key into the Pexels field and/or your Unsplash Access Key into the Unsplash field.
5. Click "Test" to check that the key works.
6. Then click "Save".

A quick word on security

Treat your keys like a password: keep them secret and don't share them publicly. NerrieBuilder stores your key encrypted and never shows it in full again afterwards. You can always delete or replace a key by creating a new one at the provider and pasting it in again.

What you get: when searching for images for your website, you now have the Pexels and/or Unsplash collections available alongside the free Openverse photos. More choice, better-looking pages.

Done! You only have to do this once. From now on you simply pick your favorite photos, and NerrieBuilder takes care of the rest.