Account Setup

✓ Reviewed August 2026

Part 1

Steps 1–3

Create these three accounts in order. Each one unlocks the next part of the pipeline.

Step 1 · First 📧

Gmail Account

Your primary account for Google AI Studio and the Gemini API. Must be a personal adult account — no child/Family Link accounts, which block AI Studio access.

Step 2 · Second 🐙

GitHub Account

Stores your app's code. Create with traditional email/password — NOT "Sign up with Google" — even if using the same email.

Step 3 · Third ▲

Vercel Account

Hosts your live app on the free Hobby plan. Sign up using "Continue with GitHub" — this links the two platforms for auto-deployment.

Create a Personal Gmail Account CRITICAL

Go to gmail.com → Create account → For my personal use. Fill in your real name, choose a username carefully (this becomes your email address), and set a strong password (uppercase + lowercase + numbers + symbols). Add a recovery phone number and complete verification.

🔐

Save your credentialsWrite down your Gmail address and password and store them in a password manager immediately. Turn on 2-Step Verification while you're there.

Create a GitHub Account — Traditional Signup IMPORTANT

Go to github.com → Sign up. You CAN use your Gmail address, but you MUST create a separate password — different from your Gmail password. Choose a professional public username.

⚠️

Do NOT use "Sign up with Google"Traditional email/password signup gives you independent account control and avoids OAuth authentication conflicts with AI Studio's GitHub export feature later.

Complete the verification, confirm your email by clicking the link GitHub sends, and choose the Free plan. Enable two-factor authentication in Settings → Password and authentication — GitHub requires 2FA for most account actions today.

Create a Vercel Account via GitHub ✓ Easy

Go to vercel.com → Sign Up → select "Continue with GitHub" (do NOT use email or another social login). Log in with your GitHub credentials, click Authorize Vercel, choose the personal Hobby plan, and complete onboarding.

💡

Why link with GitHub?Every time you push code to GitHub, Vercel automatically rebuilds and redeploys your app. No manual uploads — ever.

⚠️

Hobby plan is for non-commercial use. Vercel's free tier is meant for personal projects — it doesn't cover sites that charge users, run ads, or accept donations. That's fine for a learning project or portfolio piece; upgrade to Pro if you plan to monetize.