As developers, we often face the challenge of enabling seamless communication between our applications and advanced language model. The ChatGPT API key is here to unlock the potential of OpenAI’s cutting-edge natural language processing capabilities. To access this API, you’ll need a ChatGPT API key.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore:
- What is ChatGPT API key?
- How to get API key
- How to use API key in JavaScript
- ChatGPT Plus and API pricing
- Rate limit
- Usage limit
- Troubleshooting issues
Let’s get started!
What is ChatGPT API key?
A unique identifier, the ChatGPT API key, grants access to the ChatGPT API service. It acts as a security token, allowing secure communication between your application and the OpenAI servers. Understanding the role of the API key is essential to maintaining the confidentiality of your data and usage.
How to get ChatGPT API key for free?
Before diving into the technical aspects, you’ll need to sign up and register on the OpenAI platform.
Step 1: Sign up
Sign up for Chat GPT from URL https://platform.openai.com/signup?launch
You can sign up using your email address or you can use your existing Google, Microsoft, or Apple account.
Step 2: View API keys
Once sign-up is completed, you will be redirected to the OpenAI dashboard at https://platform.openai.com/.
From this page, click the View API Keys
link from the user profile menu item.
Step 3: Create new ChatGPT API key
- Once you click on
View API Keys
, it will display theAPI Keys
page. - Click the
Create new secret key
button. It will display a pop-up where you have to enter an optional name. - Click the
Create secret key
button. It will display a unique alphanumericChatGPT API key
. Save this ChatGPT secret key somewhere safe.
By following these three steps, you can get the ChatGPT API key
.
If you are already registered for ChatGPT, you can directly start from Step 2.
ChatGPT Plus API key
20$/month
. You can use the API key to interact with ChatGPT features through code. ChatGPT Plus API key is not a valid term; it is simply called ChatGPT API key.Where to find ChatGPT API key?
After you create an API key for ChatGPT, you need to store it securely in a safe place. However, you will not be able to view your old full API key again on the API Keys page. Instead, you will only see a partial key that hides the rest of the characters.
Therefore, it is important to copy and save your API key as soon as you generate it, otherwise, you may lose access to your ChatGPT account.
Revoke secret key
If your API key is compromised or misplaced, you should take immediate action to prevent unauthorized access to your account or data. To do this, click the delete icon in the LAST USED
column to revoke your API key as soon as possible. Revoking your API or secret key will invalidate it and stop any requests that use it. This way, you can protect your account and data from potential misuse or harm.
You can then generate a new API key and update your applications or integrations accordingly.
To delete a secret key, you need to have more than one key available. Otherwise, the system will prevent you from removing the only key. The solution is to create a new key before you can delete the existing one.
How to use ChatGPT key? A JavaScript code example
Let’s see how to use the ChatGPT API key to access all the models available on the ChatGPT platform.
The following JavaScript code sends a request to https://api.openai.com/v1/models and receives a list of models in JSON
format.
var myHeaders = new Headers();
myHeaders.append("Authorization", "Bearer <API KEY>");
var requestOptions = {
method: 'GET',
headers: myHeaders,
redirect: 'follow'
};
fetch("https://api.openai.com/v1/models", requestOptions)
.then(response => response.text())
.then(result => console.log(result))
.catch(error => console.log('error', error));
JSON
response like this. (only showing part of the response){
"object": "list",
"data": [
{
"id": "text-davinci-001",
"object": "model",
"created": 1649364042,
"owned_by": "openai",
"permission": [
{
"id": "modelperm-CDlahk1RbkghXDjtxqzXoPNo",
"object": "model_permission",
"created": 1690913868,
"allow_create_engine": false,
"allow_sampling": true,
"allow_logprobs": true,
"allow_search_indices": false,
"allow_view": true,
"allow_fine_tuning": false,
"organization": "*",
"group": null,
"is_blocking": false
}
],
"root": "text-davinci-001",
"parent": null
},
.
.
.
Subscription plans and pricing tiers
ChatGPT offers a variety of models that suit different needs and budgets. The cost is based on the number of tokens you use, which are segments of words.
For example, 1,000 tokens would be roughly equivalent to 750 words
.
If you want to use ChatGPT, you need to pay for two things: the ChatGPT API and the ChatGPT Plus subscription. The ChatGPT API lets you access the chatbot engine from any platform, and its price depends on how much you use it.
The ChatGPT Plus subscription is for using the chatbot on chat.openai.com, and it costs $20/month. This is a fixed fee that does not depend on your usage.
You can check the detailed price details at the OpenAI site.
Rate Limits
- RPM (requests per minute)
- RPD (requests per day)
- TPM (tokens per minute)
Usage limits
To control your costs, you can apply usage limits
to your account. This will help you monitor your spending and avoid unexpected charges. Notification emails will inform the owners of your organization when you reach these limits.
However, this feature is only accessible to users with paid plans.
Troubleshooting ChatGPT API Issues
If you exceed the rate limit, you will receive an error message and will not be able to chat until the next minute. You can check your current usage and limit status on the ChatGPT website.
Frequently asked questions
You cannot disable the ChatGPT API key. However, you can revoke it from the API keys page.
API key is free and you can generate any number of keys. However, you have to pay based on the number of request/response tokens. During sign-up, you will get $18 credit.
You can’t access the complete ChatGPT key from the API keys page. If you forgot or lost it, you must re-generate a new key.
There is no key required for ChatGPT Plus. ChatGPT Plus is aUI-based version and its cost is $20 fixed per month (as of now).
ChatGPT API key is required only to consume ChatGPT API programmatically.
No. However, the API key is free. If you build a custom application using this API, it will incur costs based on input and response tokens.
Conclusion
You can confidently integrate AI-powered language processing into your applications with a clear understanding of the pricing and billing aspects of the ChatGPT API key. By choosing the right subscription plan, grasping billing cycles, and adopting smart usage monitoring, you can harness the full potential of OpenAI’s ChatGPT API without exceeding your budget.
Empower your applications with state-of-the-art natural language processing, driving innovation and delighting users in the process. Embrace the future of AI and language excellence with the API key today!