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How to add your OpenAI (ChatGPT) key

GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4o-mini

API key format: sk-proj-… or sk-… (51+ chars)

OpenAI powers ChatGPT. Use your own key to run rewrites on GPT models with no platform credits charged.

Stored encrypted. Your key is encrypted with pgcrypto inside our Supabase database the moment you save it. Just like your password, we can’t read it back — only your rewrite requests can decrypt it in-memory to call OpenAI (ChatGPT).

Pricing: OpenAI bills you directly per token. Typical rewrite costs a fraction of a cent on GPT-4o-mini.

Step-by-step

  1. Create or sign in to your OpenAI developer account

    Go to platform.openai.com and sign in. This is the developer platform — separate from chatgpt.com, although the same email/password works. A ChatGPT Plus subscription is NOT required and does NOT include API credits — the API is billed separately.

    Open platform.openai.com

  2. Add a payment method and credits

    Open Settings → Billing → Payment methods and add a card. Then go to ‘Add to credit balance’ and load at least $5 — new keys cannot be used until your account has a positive prepaid balance. On the Limits page set a monthly usage cap (e.g. $10) so you can never be surprised by a bill.

    Billing settings

  3. (Optional) Create a project

    Open Settings → Projects → ‘Create project’ and name it ‘PulseWrite’. Project-scoped keys (sk-proj-…) let you track spend per app and revoke a single key without affecting others.

    Projects page

  4. Open the API keys page

    Click your profile (top-right) → ‘Your profile’ → ‘User API keys’, or go directly to the keys page. If you created a project, switch to it in the top selector first.

    API keys page

  5. Create a new secret key

    Click ‘+ Create new secret key’. Name it ‘PulseWrite’. Owner: ‘You’. Project: pick the project you just made (or Default). Permissions: ‘All’ (or at minimum: Model capabilities → write, so chat completions work).

  6. Copy the key (starts with sk-proj-… or sk-…)

    OpenAI displays the full key exactly once. Copy it immediately and paste into PulseWrite — if you lose it you must delete it and create a new one. Never commit it to a repo or share a screenshot.

  7. Paste it into PulseWrite

    Open Dashboard → Your AI keys, choose ‘OpenAI (GPT)’ and paste the key. Click ‘Save key’. That’s it — rewrites now run through your key.

    Open dashboard

Tips

  • Set a hard monthly usage limit in Settings → Limits to avoid surprises.
  • If you see ‘insufficient_quota’ or 429 errors, top up your prepaid balance — credits do not auto-refill unless you enable auto-recharge.
  • GPT-4o-mini costs ~$0.15 per 1M input tokens — a $5 top-up easily lasts thousands of rewrites.
  • Pricing reference: platform.openai.com/docs/pricing.
Open OpenAI (ChatGPT) console Go to my dashboard

OpenAI (ChatGPT) FAQ

Do I need ChatGPT Plus to use the OpenAI API?

No. ChatGPT Plus only unlocks chatgpt.com features. The API is billed separately on platform.openai.com via prepaid credits.

Why does my brand-new key return 'insufficient_quota'?

Your account has no prepaid balance. Open Settings → Billing → Add to credit balance and top up at least $5.

Can I limit how much it can spend?

Yes. Settings → Limits lets you cap monthly spend, and project-scoped sk-proj-… keys let you isolate this app's usage.

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