Guide · about 10 minutes

Set up photo checks

Craig checks a listing’s words on its own. To also check its photos, for pictures copied from real home sales, stock-photo sites, or real-estate watermarks, Craig borrows Google’s image tools. Google needs a “key” for that: a long password that lets Craig ask on your behalf. This guide walks you through getting one.

Before you start

• A Google account (the one you use for Gmail works).
• A credit or debit card, for step 2.
• Craig already added to Chrome.

Google’s pages change their look from time to time. If a button is worded a little differently from what’s written here, look for the closest match.

1. Make a project

   A “project” is just a folder in Google Cloud that holds your key. Open Create a project, sign in if asked, name it Craig, and click Create.

2. Turn on billing

   Open Billing and connect your Craig project to a billing account, adding your card if Google asks. This unlocks the free monthly allowance; it doesn’t mean you’ll be charged.

3. Switch on Google’s image tool

   Open the Cloud Vision API page. Check that Craig is the project shown at the top of the page, then click Enable.

4. Create your key

   Open Credentials, click Create credentials, then API key. Google shows a long string of letters and numbers. That’s your key. Copy it.

5. Lock the key to photo checks

   On the same Credentials page, click your new key to edit it. Under API restrictions, choose Restrict key, tick Cloud Vision API, and click Save. If the key ever leaked, it couldn’t be used for anything else.

6. Set an email warning

   Open Budgets & alerts, click Create budget, and set the amount to $1. Google will email you if spending ever approaches it. This is a warning, not a limit: Craig’s monthly limit is what actually keeps you in the free amount.

7. Give the key to Craig

   Right-click the Craig icon in Chrome’s toolbar and choose Options (or click Settings on any Craig result). Paste your key into Google Cloud Vision API key, click Test key, then Save.

If “Test key” shows a message

Key works. Photo checks are on.

You’re done. Open a Craigslist listing and click the Craig icon.

Google doesn’t recognize this key.

The key was copied incompletely. Copy it again from Credentials (step 4) and paste the whole thing.

Turn on the Cloud Vision API for this key’s project…

Repeat step 3, making sure Craig is the project selected. Wait a minute, then test again.

Turn on billing for this project.

Repeat step 2. Billing has to be connected even though you’ll stay in the free amount.

This key is restricted to other APIs.

In step 5, make sure Cloud Vision API is ticked.

Google is rate-limiting this key.

Too many tries in a short time. Wait a minute and test again.

Good to know

• Your key stays in this Chrome profile and is sent only to Google. Craig’s makers never see it.
• Only the photos’ web addresses go to Google. The listing’s words never leave your browser.
• Photos are checked when you click the Craig icon, unless you turn on automatic checks in Options.
• Craig remembers each photo’s result for 24 hours, so checking the same listing again is free.
• You can change how many photos Craig checks per listing, and its monthly limit, in Options.
• To stop photo checks, click Remove key in Options.

More about what Craig stores and sends is in the privacy policy.