Connect Google Gemini to atbridge.ai

Once Gemini is connected, the @bridge AI Chat inside Thunderbird uses Google’s models to read, search, draft, and organise your email — across every account, on your machine.

Note

Install atbridge.ai and the Thunderbird add-on first — see Install atbridge.ai. New to the in-Thunderbird side? Start with Set up the @bridge extension.

1. Get your Gemini API key

1. Open Google AI Studio → API keys (sign in if prompted).

2. Click Create API key and copy it. It starts with AIza.

3. Keep the key somewhere safe — you’ll paste it into atbridge.ai in a moment.

Caution

Google offers a free tier with limits. Paid usage is billed to your own Google account; atbridge.ai puts no markup on what Google charges. Want fully free and private? Run a model locally with Ollama.

2. Add it to atbridge.ai

1. In Thunderbird, open the @bridge Settings — the gear, or Tools → Add-ons and Themes → atbridge.ai → Options (see Set up the @bridge extension). Go to the AI providers tab.

2. Pick Google Gemini from the Provider dropdown.

3. Paste your AIza… key into API key. It’s encrypted on this device — your key never reaches atbridge.ai’s servers.

4. Click Connect. The status turns to a green ✓.

3. Pick a model and chat

Open the @bridge AI Chat (the @b button in Thunderbird), pick a Gemini model from the model dropdown — Gemini Flash is fast and low-cost; Gemini Pro is stronger. Pick the latest from the dropdown — @bridge can fetch the current list — and ask away:

“Summarise the unread thread from Maya and draft a reply.”

Tip

You can connect more than one provider and switch in the chat any time — your keys all stay local. Prefer to keep everything on your machine? See Connect a local model (Ollama).

Related

• Connect your AI — overview
• Use the @bridge AI Chat
• Connect OpenAI
• Connect a local model (Ollama)