diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94d0372
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# API Keys
+GEMINI_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
+
+# API Configuration
+API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:3000
+ENVIRONMENT=development
diff --git a/client/src/lib/queryClient.ts b/client/src/lib/queryClient.ts
index f315a14..79e1ab1 100644
--- a/client/src/lib/queryClient.ts
+++ b/client/src/lib/queryClient.ts
@@ -1,57 +1,33 @@
-import { QueryClient, QueryFunction } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import { QueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
 
-async function throwIfResNotOk(res: Response) {
-  if (!res.ok) {
-    const text = (await res.text()) || res.statusText;
-    throw new Error(`${res.status}: ${text}`);
-  }
-}
-
-export async function apiRequest(
+export async function apiRequest<T>(
   method: string,
   url: string,
   data?: unknown | undefined,
-): Promise<Response> {
+): Promise<T> {
   const res = await fetch(url, {
     method,
-    headers: data ? { "Content-Type": "application/json" } : {},
+    headers: data ? { 
+      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+      'Authorization': `Bearer ${process.env.GEMINI_API_KEY}` 
+    } : {},
     body: data ? JSON.stringify(data) : undefined,
-    credentials: "include",
+    credentials: 'include',
   });
 
-  await throwIfResNotOk(res);
-  return res;
-}
-
-type UnauthorizedBehavior = "returnNull" | "throw";
-export const getQueryFn: <T>(options: {
-  on401: UnauthorizedBehavior;
-}) => QueryFunction<T> =
-  ({ on401: unauthorizedBehavior }) =>
-  async ({ queryKey }) => {
-    const res = await fetch(queryKey.join("/") as string, {
-      credentials: "include",
-    });
-
-    if (unauthorizedBehavior === "returnNull" && res.status === 401) {
-      return null;
-    }
+  if (!res.ok) {
+    const text = await res.text();
+    throw new Error(`API Error ${res.status}: ${text || res.statusText}`);
+  }
 
-    await throwIfResNotOk(res);
-    return await res.json();
-  };
+  return res.json();
+}
 
 export const queryClient = new QueryClient({
   defaultOptions: {
     queries: {
-      queryFn: getQueryFn({ on401: "throw" }),
       refetchInterval: false,
       refetchOnWindowFocus: false,
-      staleTime: Infinity,
-      retry: false,
-    },
-    mutations: {
-      retry: false,
     },
   },
 });
diff --git a/server/config.ts b/server/config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1e70353
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+export const CONFIG = {
+  API_KEYS: {
+    GEMINI_API_KEY: process.env.GEMINI_API_KEY,
+  },
+  API_ENDPOINTS: {
+    TEXT_API: 'https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/models/gemini-2.5-flash-preview-09-2025:generateContent',
+    IMAGE_API: 'https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/models/imagen-3.0-generate-002:predict'
+  }
+};