OpenAI API

Set up API access for GPT, DALL-E, Whisper, and other OpenAI models.

⏱ 5 minutes ai llm platform.openai.com

getapi openai

Prerequisites

Variable	Description	Sensitive
`OPENAI_API_KEY`	API key for authenticating requests	Secret

1 Info

We'll get you an OpenAI API key. You'll need to add a payment method if you haven't already — OpenAI's API is pay-per-use.
2 Open URL

Opening the OpenAI API keys page. Sign in if prompted.
https://platform.openai.com/api-keys
3 Choice
Do you have a payment method on file?
- Yes, billing is set up
  
  → Jumps to create_key
- No / Not sure
  
  → Jumps to setup_billing
4 Open URL

Opening billing settings. Add a payment method to enable API access.
https://platform.openai.com/settings/organization/billing/overview
5 Confirm

Payment method added?

Checkpoint — confirm before continuing
6 Info

Click '+ Create new secret key'. Give it a descriptive name (e.g. your project name). Leave permissions as 'All' unless you need to restrict access.
7 Input

Paste your API key here (starts with sk-):

→ OPENAI_API_KEY

Starts with sk-. At least 20 characters
8 Validate

Checking your API key works...

API key verified. You're all set.

Couldn't verify the API key. Make sure you have billing set up and the key is active.

API keys are only shown once when created. If you lose it, you'll need to create a new one.
New accounts get a small free credit, but it expires. After that, you pay per token.
Set a monthly spending limit in billing settings to avoid surprises.
Rate limits depend on your usage tier — new accounts start with lower limits.