google gemini throwing invalid api key error

Question

the system is throwing the below error. I'm in a local machine.

INFO:werkzeug:127.0.0.1 - - [11/Mar/2025 02:42:06] "OPTIONS /api/generate HTTP/1.1" 200 - ERROR:root:Error calling Gemini API: 400 API key not valid. Please pass a valid API key. [reason: "API_KEY_INVALID" domain: "googleapis.com" metadata { key: "service" value: "generativelanguage.googleapis.com" } , locale: "en-US" message: "API key not valid. Please pass a valid API key." ] INFO:werkzeug:127.0.0.1 - - [11/Mar/2025 02:42:08] "POST /api/generate HTTP/1.1" 500 -

below is my python code. i also has a .env file with the API key. i can't seem to know where is the error. Please advise. thank you.

import os
import logging
from flask import Flask, request, jsonify
from flask_cors import CORS
from google.generativeai import configure, GenerativeModel
from dotenv import load_dotenv
app = Flask(__name__)
CORS(app)
# Load environment variables from .env file
load_dotenv()
# Configure logging
logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
# Get the API key from the environment
api_key = os.environ.get("GEMINI_API_KEY")
# Configure the Google GenerativeAI library with the API key
configure(api_key=api_key)
@app.route('/api/generate', methods=['POST'])
def generate():
 data = request.json
 if not data or 'input' not in data:
 return jsonify({'error': 'Invalid input'}), 400
 user_input = data['input']
 
 try:
 model = GenerativeModel('gemini-2.0-flash')
 response = model.generate_content(user_input)
 return jsonify({
 "response": response.text
 })
 except Exception as e:
 logging.error(f"Error calling Gemini API: {e}")
 return jsonify({'error': 'Failed to generate response'}), 500
if __name__ == '__main__':
 app.run(debug=True)

• Jon Skeet: Well, have you tried logging the API key before you use it, and checked whether that matches what's in your file?
• HyperGoku: Can advise how to log the API key?
• Jon Skeet: Well you already have code to log an error, so you presumably know how to log, and you've already got the API key in a variable... I'm not sure what you expect me to say that you don't already know...
• HyperGoku: I've checked my logs, the key is according to my API key. Would it be something to do with the model that I use?
• Jon Skeet: That I don't know, I'm afraid. Have you tried using the API with a simple curl request as per ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/api-key#send-gemini-api-request?