Getting Google AI Credits & Using Them in ContentLead (BYOK)#

ContentLead lets you bring your own Google API key (BYOK) so AI generations — Veo 3.1 video, Nano Banana (Gemini) images, and Omni — are billed to your own Google Cloud credits instead of ours. This guide takes you from zero to a working key generating video inside contentlead.in.

⏱️ Takes ~15 minutes the first time. You only do the setup once.

Part 1 — Get Google Cloud credits#

New Google Cloud accounts get $300 in free credits (valid 90 days) — more than enough to try Veo, Nano Banana, and Omni many times.

1. Go to cloud.google.com → click Start free.
2. Sign in with your Google account and complete the sign-up (a card is required for identity, but you are not charged while on free credits).
3. After sign-up, note the Billing Account that holds your credits — you'll see the remaining balance under Billing → Overview.

💡 Already have credits from a promotion or your company? Skip to Part 2 and just make sure you pick the project/org that is attached to those credits.

Part 2 — Pick the RIGHT project (this is where the credits live)#

Credits are tied to a billing account, and that billing account is linked to one or more projects inside an organization. AI usage is billed to whichever project you use — so you must use a project that is linked to the credited billing account.

1. In the Cloud Console top bar, open the project picker.
2. Select the correct Organization first (top-left of the picker) — the org that owns your credits. If you have a personal + a work org, choose the one where the credits are.
3. Then either:
   • Use the existing project already connected to the credited billing account (simplest — recommended), or
   • Create a new project under that same org, then go to Billing → Link a billing account and attach the credited billing account to it.
4. Enable the API: search "Vertex AI API" → Enable. (This is what Veo / Gemini image / Omni run on.)

⚠️ If you create a project under the wrong org or leave it with no billing account, generations will fail with a billing/permission error even though your key is valid.

Part 3 — Create a service account + download a JSON key#

This is the file you'll upload into ContentLead.

1. Go to IAM & Admin → Service Accounts → + Create service account.
2. Give it a name (e.g. contentlead-byok) → Create and continue.
3. Grant the role Vertex AI User → Continue → Done.
4. Open the new service account → Keys tab → Add key → Create new key → JSON → Create.
5. A .json file downloads to your computer. Keep it safe — it's like a password.

Part 3b — If the JSON key download is BLOCKED (org policy)#

Some orgs block key creation with an org policy. If step 4 above is greyed out or fails, you need to turn that policy off for your project.

1. Go to IAM & Admin → Organization Policies.
2. Find the policy named "Disable service account key creation" — the plain one (constraint iam.disableServiceAccountKeyCreation).
   • ⚠️ NOT the one ending in .managed — pick the normal one.
   • It's roughly on the 3rd page of the ~196 policies (page through Next twice).
3. Click it → Manage policy.
4. Choose Override parent's policy → Add a rule → set Enforcement = Off → Done → Set policy.
5. The policy should now show Active (not Inactive). Wait a moment, then retry the Create JSON key step in Part 3.

Part 4 — Upload the key into ContentLead#

1. Open contentlead.in and go into a project / the editor.
2. Open the AI Video panel → credentials / settings.
3. Upload the .json key you downloaded (this is the exact same file for everyone — nothing to edit inside it).
4. Select your model — e.g. Veo 3.1 Fast (video), Nano Banana (image), or Omni.

Part 5 — Generate & verify#

1. Run a small test generation first — a Nano Banana image or a 4-second Veo Fast clip is the cheapest way to confirm everything works.
2. If it renders, you're done — usage is now billed to your Google credits.
3. Check spend anytime under Google Cloud → Billing → Overview.

Good to know#

• Free tier is generous: $300 covers a lot of test clips; Veo Fast and Nano Banana are the cheapest to experiment with.
• One key, everywhere: the same .json key works for Veo, Nano Banana, and Omni — just switch the model in the panel.
• Model notes: Veo 3.1 Lite supports start/end frames only (no reference images, no 4K); Standard/Fast support 4K. Omni aspect ratios are 9:16 / 16:9 only.
• Security: never share your .json key publicly. If it leaks, delete it in Service Accounts → Keys and create a new one.
• Billing safety: set a budget alert under Billing → Budgets & alerts so you're notified before credits run out.