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How to Get a Pexels API Key
A free Pexels API key lets Sourcer search and insert royalty-free photos and videos directly into your timeline. It takes about 2 minutes to set up.
Which plugins use this?
Step-by-step guide
Visit pexels.com/api and click Get Started.
Sign up with your email, Google, or Facebook account (it's free). If you already have one, just sign in.
Pexels asks what you'll use the API for. Give a short, honest description:
- App name: pick something personal, like "Jane's Stock Search" or "[Your Name] Sourcer". The name is just visible in your own dashboard — a personal name helps you spot it later.
- Description: Search and insert stock photos and videos in my video editor
- Website: leave blank or use filmit.io
Once approved (usually instant), Pexels shows your API key on the dashboard. It's a long string of letters and numbers. Copy it.
Go to API Keys in your account settings (or Settings in Filmit Studio) and paste the key into the Pexels field. Hit Save.
Your Pexels key syncs across all your devices. Open Sourcer in After Effects or Premiere Pro and start browsing the Pexels library.
Common questions
Yes. Pexels' API is completely free and the photos and videos are royalty-free for personal and commercial use. The free tier allows 200 requests per hour and 20,000 per month, which is more than enough for editing.
Attribution isn't required, but Pexels appreciates a credit when possible. The full license is on pexels.com/license.
You may have hit the rate limit. Wait an hour and try again. If it still doesn't work, request a new key on the Pexels API dashboard and update it in your Filmit account.