Libraries

Set up your development environment to use the OpenAI API with an SDK in your preferred language.

This page covers setting up your local development environment to use the OpenAI API. You can use one of our officially supported SDKs, a community library, or your own preferred HTTP client.

Create and export an API key

Before you begin, create an API key in the dashboard, which you’ll use to securely access the API. Store the key in a safe location, like a .zshrc file or another text file on your computer. Once you’ve generated an API key, export it as an environment variable in your terminal.

macOS / Linux

Export an environment variable on macOS or Linux

export OPENAI_API_KEY="your_api_key_here"

Windows

Export an environment variable in PowerShell

setx OPENAI_API_KEY "your_api_key_here"

OpenAI SDKs are configured to automatically read your API key from the system environment.

Install an official SDK

JavaScript

To use the OpenAI API in server-side JavaScript environments like Node.js, Deno, or Bun, you can use the official OpenAI SDK for TypeScript and JavaScript. Get started by installing the SDK using npm or your preferred package manager:

Install the OpenAI SDK with npm

npm install openai

With the OpenAI SDK installed, create a file called example.mjs and copy the example code into it:

Test a basic API request

import OpenAI from "openai";
const client = new OpenAI();

const response = await client.responses.create({
    model: "gpt-4.1",
    input: "Write a one-sentence bedtime story about a unicorn."
});

console.log(response.output_text);

Execute the code with node example.mjs (or the equivalent command for Deno or Bun). In a few moments, you should see the output of your API request.

Learn more on GitHub

Discover more SDK capabilities and options on the library’s GitHub README.

Python

To use the OpenAI API in Python, you can use the official OpenAI SDK for Python. Get started by installing the SDK using pip:

Install the OpenAI SDK with pip

pip install openai

With the OpenAI SDK installed, create a file called example.py and copy the example code into it:

Test a basic API request

from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI()

response = client.responses.create(
    model="gpt-4.1",
    input="Write a one-sentence bedtime story about a unicorn."
)

print(response.output_text)

Execute the code with python example.py. In a few moments, you should see the output of your API request.

Learn more on GitHub

Discover more SDK capabilities and options on the library’s GitHub README.

.NET

In collaboration with Microsoft, OpenAI provides an officially supported API client for C#. You can install it with the .NET CLI from NuGet.

dotnet add package OpenAI

A simple API request to Chat Completions would look like this:

using OpenAI.Chat;

ChatClient client = new(
  model: "gpt-4.1",
  apiKey: Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("OPENAI_API_KEY")
);

ChatCompletion completion = client.CompleteChat("Say 'this is a test.'");

Console.WriteLine($"[ASSISTANT]: {completion.Content[0].Text}");

To learn more about using the OpenAI API in .NET, check out the GitHub repo linked below!

Learn more on GitHub

Discover more SDK capabilities and options on the library’s GitHub README.

Java

OpenAI provides an API helper for the Java programming language, currently in beta. You can include the Maven depency using the following configuration:

<dependency>
    <groupId>com.openai</groupId>
    <artifactId>openai-java</artifactId>
    <version>0.31.0</version>
</dependency>

A simple API request to Chat Completions would look like this:

import com.openai.client.OpenAIClient;
import com.openai.client.okhttp.OpenAIOkHttpClient;
import com.openai.models.ChatCompletion;
import com.openai.models.ChatCompletionCreateParams;
import com.openai.models.ChatModel;

// Configures using the \`OPENAI_API_KEY\`, \`OPENAI_ORG_ID\` and \`OPENAI_PROJECT_ID\`
// environment variables
OpenAIClient client = OpenAIOkHttpClient.fromEnv();

ChatCompletionCreateParams params = ChatCompletionCreateParams.builder()
    .addUserMessage("Say this is a test")
    .model(ChatModel.O3_MINI)
    .build();
ChatCompletion chatCompletion = client.chat().completions().create(params);

To learn more about using the OpenAI API in Java, check out the GitHub repo linked below!

Learn more on GitHub

Discover more SDK capabilities and options on the library’s GitHub README.

Go

OpenAI provides an API helper for the Go programming language, currently in beta. You can import the library using the code below:

import (
  "github.com/openai/openai-go" // imported as openai
)

A simple API request to Chat Completions would look like this:

package main

import (
  "context"
  "fmt"

  "github.com/openai/openai-go"
  "github.com/openai/openai-go/option"
)

func main() {
  client := openai.NewClient(
    option.WithAPIKey("My API Key"), // defaults to os.LookupEnv("OPENAI_API_KEY")
  )
  chatCompletion, err := client.Chat.Completions.New(
    context.TODO(), openai.ChatCompletionNewParams{
      Messages: openai.F(
        []openai.ChatCompletionMessageParamUnion{
          openai.UserMessage("Say this is a test"),
        }
      ),
      Model: openai.F(openai.ChatModelGPT4o),
    }
  )

  if err != nil {
    panic(err.Error())
  }

  println(chatCompletion.Choices[0].Message.Content)
}

To learn more about using the OpenAI API in Go, check out the GitHub repo linked below!

Learn more on GitHub

Discover more SDK capabilities and options on the library’s GitHub README.

Azure OpenAI libraries

Microsoft’s Azure team maintains libraries that are compatible with both the OpenAI API and Azure OpenAI services. Read the library documentation below to learn how you can use them with the OpenAI API.

Azure OpenAI client library for .NET

Azure OpenAI client library for JavaScript

Azure OpenAI client library for Java

Azure OpenAI client library for Go

Community libraries

The libraries below are built and maintained by the broader developer community. You can also watch our OpenAPI specification repository on GitHub to get timely updates on when we make changes to our API.

Please note that OpenAI does not verify the correctness or security of these projects. Use them at your own risk!

C# / .NET

• Betalgo.OpenAI by Betalgo
• OpenAI-API-dotnet by OkGoDoIt
• OpenAI-DotNet by RageAgainstThePixel

C++

• liboai by D7EAD

Clojure

• openai-clojure by wkok

Crystal

• openai-crystal by sferik

Dart/Flutter

• openai by anasfik

Delphi

• DelphiOpenAI by HemulGM

Elixir

• openai.ex by mgallo

Go

• go-gpt3 by sashabaranov

Java

• simple-openai by Sashir Estela
• Spring AI

Julia

• OpenAI.jl by rory-linehan

Kotlin

• openai-kotlin by Mouaad Aallam

Node.js

• openai-api by Njerschow
• openai-api-node by erlapso
• gpt-x by ceifa
• gpt3 by poteat
• gpts by thencc
• @dalenguyen/openai by dalenguyen
• tectalic/openai by tectalic

PHP

• orhanerday/open-ai by orhanerday
• tectalic/openai by tectalic
• openai-php client by openai-php

Python

• chronology by OthersideAI

R

• rgpt3 by ben-aaron188

Ruby

• openai by nileshtrivedi
• ruby-openai by alexrudall

Rust

• async-openai by 64bit
• fieri by lbkolev

Scala

• openai-scala-client by cequence-io

Swift

• AIProxySwift by Lou Zell
• OpenAIKit by dylanshine
• OpenAI by MacPaw

Unity

• OpenAi-Api-Unity by hexthedev
• com.openai.unity by RageAgainstThePixel

Unreal Engine

• OpenAI-Api-Unreal by KellanM

Other OpenAI repositories

• tiktoken - counting tokens
• simple-evals - simple evaluation library
• mle-bench - library to evaluate machine learning engineer agents
• gym - reinforcement learning library
• swarm - educational orchestration repository