Hi everyone,
We’re excited to introduce a major improvement that removes a lot of friction around using Actions in your Pickaxes. We’ve launched a new system that automatically assigns Pickaxe-managed API keys to Actions, with transparent charging if you choose this option. This is now enabled by default in the builder.
This means you can start using tools like Google’s Gemini Nano Banana or other third-party Actions immediately, without hunting for external API keys or worrying about maintenance.
What this new system solves
Before this update, builders had to:
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Find and set up external API keys
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Monitor balances
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Deal with errors when keys ran out
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Spend time debugging instead of building
Now, Pickaxe handles all of it quietly in the background.
What’s better now
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Pickaxe assigns API keys to your Actions automatically
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Smooth and reliable execution with no interruptions
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Transparent cost handling when you use Pickaxe-managed keys
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No external setup required
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You can focus fully on building your product
Prefer your own API key?
You still have full control. If you want to continue using your own external key, that option remains available.
Sharing my own samples, prompts, and results
To show what this experience looks like end-to-end, I copied the entire content of this community announcement into a Pickaxe and asked it to generate infographic designs.
Here are the outcomes it produced:
Infographic Sample 1
^I’m also attaching the exact prompt I used, so you can try it yourself and see the results firsthand.
Infographic Sample 2
Everything ultimately comes down to the prompt and a bit of fine tuning. The first infographic generated perfectly on the very first attempt, while the second one took some tweaking to get it just right.
Where to find it:
I’ve also included a GIF showing how simple it is to browse, filter, and select Actions now that the Pickaxe-managed API system is active by default.
This new system should make it much easier for everyone to get started with Actions and avoid the common interruptions we used to see when keys ran out. If you’ve been hesitant to use Actions because of the setup burden, this is a great moment to try them again.
If you need help or want suggestions, I’m here anytime.
Happy building!
