Getting Started

Account Setup & API Keys

Set up Unsplash and Pexels API keys so VidToArticle can automatically attach featured images to your articles.

Overview

VidToArticle can automatically add featured images to your articles by calling the Unsplash or Pexels APIs on your behalf. To keep usage within your own limits and avoid shared quotas, you bring your own API keys.

Configuring keys is optional  the app works fine without images  but highly recommended for WordPress blogs and publications that expect visuals.

Where image settings live

All image configuration lives in the app dashboard:

  1. Sign in to VidToArticle.
  2. In the left sidebar, click Settings.
  3. In the Featured Image Settings section, you will see separate panels for Unsplash and Pexels.

This page is where you paste and save your API keys.

Getting an Unsplash API key

  1. Visit https://unsplash.com/developers.
  2. Sign in or create a free Unsplash account.
  3. Create a new application.
  4. Copy your Access Key.

In the VidToArticle settings page:

  1. Under Unsplash, paste the Access Key into the Access Key field.
  2. Make sure it matches the expected format (alphanumeric, typically 2050 characters).
  3. Click Save API Keys at the bottom of the page.

If the format looks wrong, VidToArticle will show a small validation warning so you can correct it before saving.

Getting a Pexels API key

  1. Visit https://www.pexels.com/api/.
  2. Sign in or create a free Pexels account.
  3. Create a new API key.
  4. Copy the key string.

In VidToArticle:

  1. Under Pexels, paste the key into the API Key field.
  2. Ensure it meets the basic length/format requirements (at least ~20 alphanumeric characters).
  3. Click Save API Keys.

If the key looks too short or malformed, youll see a warning underneath the input.

Saving and validation

When you click Save API Keys:

  • VidToArticle validates the format of your keys locally.
  • Keys are stored in your user settings in Firebase, with timestamps for creation and updates.
  • Error messages are shown inline if saving fails (for example, if permissions are missing).

You will see different status panels depending on what is configured:

  • Configuration Status when at least one key is saved.
  • A No API Keys Configured notice if both keys are empty.

Security and privacy

VidToArticle is designed so that:

  • Your keys are stored securely and never shared with other users.
  • Keys are used only for fetching images for your articles.
  • You can remove or rotate keys at any time by clearing the field and saving again.

If you ever suspect a key is compromised, rotate it in the Unsplash or Pexels dashboard, then update it in VidToArticle.

How keys affect article generation

With at least one key configured:

  • When you generate an article, VidToArticle searches Unsplash and/or Pexels for images related to the video.
  • A featured image is selected and attached to the article metadata.
  • If you publish to WordPress via the VidToArticle Publisher plugin, this image is sent as the WordPress featured image with proper attribution.

Without keys:

  • Articles are text-only.
  • You can still manually add images in WordPress or your CMS.

Troubleshooting

  • No images appearing:
    • Confirm that at least one key is saved and valid.
    • Check that your Unsplash/Pexels account has not hit its free-tier rate limit.
  • Validation errors:
    • Double-check that you pasted the correct value (Access Key vs Secret Key, etc.).
  • Permission errors when saving:
    • If you see a permission denied error, contact VidToArticle support so we can review your account permissions.

Once your keys are configured, you are ready to follow the Featured Images guides and WordPress integration docs for end-to-end image automation.