Everyone is discussing the ChatGPT model and integrating OpenAI models into their apps and services. They can use the OpenAI API, and the company offers several models, modes, and patterns to fine-tune their model based on their dataset. It is a revolution that OpenAI is doing, and its partners have integrated models to make their services superior.
So, if you have been looking to integrate OpenAI models into your apps and services, here is a guide. Today, in this article, we will share a quick guide on using the OpenAI API for free. You must stay ahead and learn skills in developing AI-based apps and prompt engineering.
How to use the OpenAI API for free
An API key is used for authentication, and you can generate your API key. Before proceeding, let us know what an API is. It stands for Application Programming Interface, which has some protocols, a set of rules, and tools that allow developers to create a bridge between their apps and services and the OpenAI server to exchange data and interact with each other.
It is used to access functionality or data from another software or provider. Since a small business or individual takes a lot of research and investment, they can access already existing datasets to process the data. The OpenAI API makes it easier to control expenses when using artificial intelligence in AI applications or services, but it is also cheaper than using other services.
OpenAI Capabilities
It comes packed with the OpenAI ecosystem, which includes DALL-E, Whisper, GPT-4, GPT-3.5, etc., along with different models with their capabilities and strengths.
It is not entirely free; OpenAI offers a few free credits worth $5 when you first sign up, which expire after four months. After exceeding the API usage limit, users must buy tokens to continue using the OpenAI API. If you’re unsure how many tokens you need, you can check and analyze “How many tokens you may require” via OpenAI Token Calculator.
Get your OpenAI API.
Anyone can get an API from the OpenAI website, but users need an OpenAI account to have access. Create your account by heading over to the OpenAI platform. Verify your email and phone number to continue using OpenAI services.
To create your API key:
- Open the OpenAI platform and click the profile icon in the upper-right corner.
- From the context menu, click on the “View API key.”
- From there, you can create your API key.
- While creating it, keep the API key safe somewhere because it can’t be revealed after creating it once.
- That is it!
Once you have created your OpenAI API, you can use it in your projects. Keep an eye on your API usage after the free trial expires, and you have to pay $0.002 per token, which translates to about 750 words.
How to use the OpenAI API:
Consider creating an influential prompt to get more out of the OpenAI API. Experiment with the prompt and make it direct and straightforward to help the AI model better understand your prompt and generate meaningful and accurate results. You can start working on a chat completion project, which accounts for most OpenAI API usage.
Another option is to use the DALL-E model to generate images from text prompts in natural language. You can also create an SQL query generator project, which allows you to translate prompts into SQL. You can use Python, JavaScript, React, Node.js, and the OpenAI npm library and API for these projects to get started. We have embedded the FireCodeCamp guide to help you start with OpenAI codes for your projects.
To use OpenAI Playgrounds:
- Visit OpenAI Playgrounds and log in with your OpenAI account.
- You will be redirected to the Playground, with a big text box for prompts and responses.
- You will find the parameters, models, and modes to tweak on your left side based on your preferences.
- That is it!
If you encounter any issues while creating an OpenAI API-based project, it might be due to a technical issue or exhaustion. Check the documentation for more information.
OpenAI Key Free
There is a free trial for users, which they can use creatively for a few months, but once it expires, you will need to make a payment. Since OpenAI has enforced a rate limit at the organization level, business users and developers must pay based on RPM (Requests Per Minute) and TPM (Tokens per Minute).
OpenAI is offering these models and has also released the GPT-4 model. The cost structure is based on the model.
| Model | Cost |
| GPT-4 (8k Context) | $0.03 |
| GPT-4 (32k Context) | $0.06 |
| GPT-3 (Davinci) | $0.02 |
| GPT-3.5 Turbo | $0.002 (10x cheaper than GPT-3) |
| Whisper (Audio-Transcription) | $0.006 per minute |
Fix the Incorrect API provided.
If you have encountered this issue before seeking help from OpenAI or sending complaint emails to OpenAI, ensure there are no typos or extra spaces in your OpenAI key.
- Check the API key. You may have entered a different organization or AI project.
- Verify your API from the panel. Ensure that it has not been deactivated, cached, or deleted.
If you are still encountering the issue, do basic troubleshooting, like clearing the browser’s cache and cookies. Otherwise, try authenticating the page corresponding to OpenAI’s platform website.
So this is how you can use OpenAI to build apps and services. It is also quite helpful for building projects. Thanks for being with us. We would like to know your valuable opinions and feedback. Do let us know in the comment section below.