--- title: Getting Started with AI Product Image Generator for WooCommerce description: Install the plugin, complete the setup wizard, choose Managed Credits or your own Gemini API key, and generate your first image. url: "https://wpfactory.com/docs/ai-product-images-getting-started/" updated: "2026-10-05" category: Getting Started --- # Getting Started with AI Product Image Generator for WooCommerce To get started with [AI Product Image Generator for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/item/ai-product-image-generator-for-woocommerce/), install and activate it, then complete the setup wizard that opens automatically: choose **Managed Credits** (a WPFactory license with a credit balance) or **Use My API Key** (your own Google Gemini key). After setup, generate images from the product edit screen or **AI Images > Generate Images**. ![setup wizard, Connection Mode step showing the Managed Credits and Use My API Key cards](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/ai-product-images-getting-started-1.png) ## Before you start - WordPress 5.8 or later, PHP 7.4 or later and WooCommerce 6.0 or later (from the plugin header). Without WooCommerce, or with an older version, the plugin shows a notice and does not load. - Products with a main image and, optionally, gallery images. AI Image Generator edits your existing product photos; it does not create images from a title alone. - Your server must be able to make outgoing HTTPS requests, and must be able to download your own product images from their public URLs (the plugin fetches each source image before sending it). - For Managed Credits: the PHP cURL extension. For resizing and watermarks: the PHP GD extension (watermarks also use the exif extension). - For Use My API Key: a Google Gemini API key from Google AI Studio, with billing set up in your Google account. ## Install and activate 1. Download the plugin zip from your WPFactory account. 2. Go to **Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin**, choose the zip and click **Install Now**. 3. Click **Activate**. You are redirected to the setup wizard. There is no separate free version: every feature described in these docs is included in the plugin. ## Complete the setup wizard Until the wizard is finished, opening any AI Images page sends you back to it. 1. **Welcome:** click **Continue**. 2. **Connection Mode:** choose **Managed Credits** or **Use My API Key**. You can change this later in **AI Images > Settings > Connection**. See [How to Connect Your Gemini API Key or Managed Credits](https://wpfactory.com/docs/ai-product-images-connection-mode/) for the differences. 3. **License & Credits:** - Managed Credits: paste your license key and click **Verify & Activate**. Verification is required to continue. No key yet? Click **Register New Account**, enter your name and email, accept the terms and click **Register & Get License**, then follow the instructions in the verification email. - Use My API Key: paste your **Google Gemini API Key** and click **Test Connection**. This step is optional; you can add the key later, but you cannot generate images until you do. 4. **AI Prompts:** review the built-in styles and click **Complete Setup**. 5. **Complete Setup:** seven styles are created: Clean Studio, Luxury Editorial, Marketplace Ready, Lifestyle Context, Shadow Play, Dark & Moody and Natural Light. Click **Go to Dashboard**. To run the wizard again later, go to **AI Images > Settings > Advanced** and click **Re-run Setup Wizard**. Existing data and settings are kept. ## Where everything is | Screen | Path | Who can open it | | --- | --- | --- | | Dashboard: totals, recent activity, style usage, low credit warning | **AI Images > Dashboard** | Users who can edit products | | Bulk generation for many products | **AI Images > Generate Images** | Users who can edit products | | Connection, credits, file naming, notifications | **AI Images > Settings** | Administrators | | Create and edit styles (prompts, variants, watermark) | **AI Images > Styles** | Administrators | | Notifications log | **AI Images > History** | Administrators | | Generate for one product | **Products > Edit product**, **AI Image Generator** box in the sidebar | Users who can edit products | ## Generate your first image 1. Go to **Products**, open a product that has a main image and save any pending changes. 2. In the **AI Image Generator** box, choose a style in **Select Style**, for example **Clean Studio**. 3. Leave **Image Source** on **Main Product Image** and click **Generate AI Image**. 4. When the success message appears, the page reloads and the new image shows under **Generated Images**. It is also in your Media Library. Full walkthrough: [How to Generate WooCommerce Product Images with AI](https://wpfactory.com/docs/ai-product-images-generate/). ## What data leaves your site These facts come from the plugin code (version 1.0.1): - **Managed Credits** sends requests to WPFactory's service at `imageai.wpfactory.com`. Each generation request contains your license key, your site's domain, the source image file, the style's prompt text and any reference images attached to the style. The service returns the generated image. Credit balance checks send the license key and domain. - **Use My API Key** sends requests directly to Google's Gemini API (`generativelanguage.googleapis.com`, model `gemini-2.5-flash-image`). Each request contains the source image, any reference images, the style's prompt with an aspect ratio instruction and generation settings. Your API key is included in the request URL. - **Product details** such as name, description, price, SKU or categories are sent only if you add placeholders like `{product_name}` to a style's prompt. The built-in styles contain no placeholders. - **Registration** (Register New Account) sends the name and email you enter and your site's domain to the WPFactory service. ## Next steps - [How to Bulk Generate AI Images for WooCommerce Products](https://wpfactory.com/docs/ai-product-images-bulk-generate/) - [How to Replace Product Image Backgrounds in WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/docs/ai-product-images-replace-backgrounds/) - [How to Create Custom AI Image Styles for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/docs/ai-product-images-custom-styles/) - [Settings reference](https://wpfactory.com/docs/ai-product-images-settings/) and [Troubleshooting](https://wpfactory.com/docs/ai-product-images-troubleshooting/) Need a hand? Our team answers every ticket on the [AI Image Generator support forum](https://wpfactory.com/support/). Related articles - [How to Watermark AI Product Images in WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/docs/ai-product-images-watermark/)