Mastering Generative AI with OpenAI

Getting Started with OpenAI

Setting Up OpenAI Account

A quick guide to creating an OpenAI account and configuring API access. Follow these steps to start building AI-powered applications in minutes.

1. Create Your OpenAI Account

  1. Navigate to openai.com and click Sign Up.
  2. Enter a valid email address and choose a strong password.
  3. Open the verification email from OpenAI and click the confirmation link.

The image shows an email verification page from OpenAI, prompting the user to check their email and click a link to get started, with an option to open Gmail.

2. Complete Your Profile

After email verification, fill in your personal and organizational details:

  • First name
  • Last name
  • Organization name
  • Birthday

Click Continue to proceed.

The image shows a webpage from the OpenAI Platform asking for user information, including first name, last name, organization name, and birthday, with a "Continue" button.

3. Verify Your Phone Number

To enhance account security, OpenAI requires phone verification:

  1. Enter your phone number.
  2. Click Send code.
  3. Input the one-time password (OTP) you receive.

The image shows a phone number verification page with a field to enter a phone number and a "Send code" button. The page is part of the OpenAI platform.

4. Access the API Dashboard

Once your identity is confirmed, you’ll be directed to the OpenAI dashboard. Choose API to view your API keys, usage stats, and documentation.

The image shows a webpage from OpenAI's platform featuring three options: ChatGPT, DALL-E, and API, each with a brief description.

5. Monitor Usage & Configure Billing

On the API dashboard, you can track your API calls, review your free credits, and add a payment method:

  • New users receive $5 in free trial credits.
  • To continue past the trial limit, click Upgrade and submit billing details.

The image shows a webpage from the OpenAI platform displaying API usage statistics for July, with a graph of daily usage in USD and details about free trial usage. The free trial shows $0.00 out of $5.00 used, expiring on November 1, 2023.

Note

Your $5 free-trial credits expire after three months. Keep an eye on your usage to avoid unexpected charges.

Warning

Treat your API keys like passwords. Never expose them in public code repositories.

OpenAI Services Overview

ServicePurposeDocumentation
ChatGPTReal-time conversational AIChat Guide
DALL·EText-to-image generationImage Guide
APIProgrammatic access to AI modelsAPI Reference

Next Steps

Now that your account and API access are set up:

References

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