> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://openai-hd4n6.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# 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](/docs/api-reference). 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](https://platform.openai.com/api-keys), which you'll use to securely [access the API](/docs/api-reference/authentication). Store the key in a safe location, like a [`.zshrc` file](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-do-zsh-configuration-files-work/) or another text file on your computer. Once you've generated an API key, export it as an [environment variable](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment_variable) in your terminal.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="macOS / Linux">
    ```bash Export an environment variable on macOS or Linux theme={"system"}
    export OPENAI_API_KEY="your_api_key_here"
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Windows">
    ```powershell Export an environment variable in PowerShell theme={"system"}
    setx OPENAI_API_KEY "your_api_key_here"
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

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

## Install an official SDK

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="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](https://github.com/openai/openai-node). Get started by installing the SDK using [npm](https://www.npmjs.com/) or your preferred package manager:

    ```javascript Install the OpenAI SDK with npm theme={"system"}
    npm install openai
    ```

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

    ```javascript Test a basic API request theme={"system"}
    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.

    <CardGroup cols="1">
      <Card title="Learn more on GitHub" icon="code" iconType="solid" horizontal href="https://github.com/openai/openai-node">
        Discover more SDK capabilities and options on the library's GitHub README.
      </Card>
    </CardGroup>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Python">
    To use the OpenAI API in Python, you can use the official [OpenAI SDK for Python](https://github.com/openai/openai-python). Get started by installing the SDK using [pip](https://pypi.org/project/pip/):

    ```python Install the OpenAI SDK with pip theme={"system"}
    pip install openai
    ```

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

    ```python Test a basic API request theme={"system"}
    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.

    <CardGroup cols="1">
      <Card title="Learn more on GitHub" icon="code" iconType="solid" horizontal href="https://github.com/openai/openai-python">
        Discover more SDK capabilities and options on the library's GitHub README.
      </Card>
    </CardGroup>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title=".NET">
    In collaboration with Microsoft, OpenAI provides an officially supported API client for C#. You can install it with the .NET CLI from [NuGet](https://www.nuget.org/).

    ```dotnet theme={"system"}
    dotnet add package OpenAI
    ```

    A simple API request to [Chat Completions](/docs/api-reference/chat) would look like this:

    ```dotnet theme={"system"}
    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!

    <CardGroup cols="1">
      <Card title="Learn more on GitHub" icon="code" iconType="solid" horizontal href="https://github.com/openai/openai-dotnet">
        Discover more SDK capabilities and options on the library's GitHub README.
      </Card>
    </CardGroup>
  </Tab>

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

    ```Maven theme={"system"}
    <dependency>
        <groupId>com.openai</groupId>
        <artifactId>openai-java</artifactId>
        <version>0.31.0</version>
    </dependency>
    ```

    A simple API request to [Chat Completions](/docs/api-reference/chat) would look like this:

    ```java theme={"system"}
    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!

    <CardGroup cols="1">
      <Card title="Learn more on GitHub" icon="code" iconType="solid" horizontal href="https://github.com/openai/openai-java">
        Discover more SDK capabilities and options on the library's GitHub README.
      </Card>
    </CardGroup>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Go">
    OpenAI provides an API helper for the Go programming language, currently in beta. You can import the library using the code below:

    ```Go theme={"system"}
    import (
      "github.com/openai/openai-go" // imported as openai
    )
    ```

    A simple API request to [Chat Completions](/docs/api-reference/chat) would look like this:

    ```Go theme={"system"}
    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!

    <CardGroup cols="1">
      <Card title="Learn more on GitHub" icon="code" iconType="solid" horizontal href="https://github.com/openai/openai-go">
        Discover more SDK capabilities and options on the library's GitHub README.
      </Card>
    </CardGroup>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## 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.

<CardGroup cols="2">
  <Card title="Azure OpenAI client library for .NET" icon="microsoft" iconType="solid" horizontal href="https://github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-net/tree/main/sdk/openai/Azure.AI.OpenAI" />

  <Card title="Azure OpenAI client library for JavaScript" icon="js" iconType="solid" horizontal href="https://github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-js/tree/main/sdk/openai/openai" />

  <Card title="Azure OpenAI client library for Java" icon="java" iconType="solid" horizontal href="https://github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-java/tree/main/sdk/openai/azure-ai-openai" />

  <Card title="Azure OpenAI client library for Go" icon="golang" iconType="solid" horizontal href="https://github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-go/tree/main/sdk/ai/azopenai" />
</CardGroup>

## Community libraries

The libraries below are built and maintained by the broader developer community. You can also [watch our OpenAPI specification](https://github.com/openai/openai-openapi) 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](https://github.com/betalgo/openai) by [Betalgo](https://github.com/betalgo)
* [OpenAI-API-dotnet](https://github.com/OkGoDoIt/OpenAI-API-dotnet) by [OkGoDoIt](https://github.com/OkGoDoIt)
* [OpenAI-DotNet](https://github.com/RageAgainstThePixel/OpenAI-DotNet) by [RageAgainstThePixel](https://github.com/RageAgainstThePixel)

### C++

* [liboai](https://github.com/D7EAD/liboai) by [D7EAD](https://github.com/D7EAD)

### Clojure

* [openai-clojure](https://github.com/wkok/openai-clojure) by [wkok](https://github.com/wkok)

### Crystal

* [openai-crystal](https://github.com/sferik/openai-crystal) by [sferik](https://github.com/sferik)

### Dart/Flutter

* [openai](https://github.com/anasfik/openai) by [anasfik](https://github.com/anasfik)

### Delphi

* [DelphiOpenAI](https://github.com/HemulGM/DelphiOpenAI) by [HemulGM](https://github.com/HemulGM)

### Elixir

* [openai.ex](https://github.com/mgallo/openai.ex) by [mgallo](https://github.com/mgallo)

### Go

* [go-gpt3](https://github.com/sashabaranov/go-gpt3) by [sashabaranov](https://github.com/sashabaranov)

### Java

* [simple-openai](https://github.com/sashirestela/simple-openai) by [Sashir Estela](https://github.com/sashirestela)
* [Spring AI](https://spring.io/projects/spring-ai)

### Julia

* [OpenAI.jl](https://github.com/rory-linehan/OpenAI.jl) by [rory-linehan](https://github.com/rory-linehan)

### Kotlin

* [openai-kotlin](https://github.com/Aallam/openai-kotlin) by [Mouaad Aallam](https://github.com/Aallam)

### Node.js

* [openai-api](https://www.npmjs.com/package/openai-api) by [Njerschow](https://github.com/Njerschow)
* [openai-api-node](https://www.npmjs.com/package/openai-api-node) by [erlapso](https://github.com/erlapso)
* [gpt-x](https://www.npmjs.com/package/gpt-x) by [ceifa](https://github.com/ceifa)
* [gpt3](https://www.npmjs.com/package/gpt3) by [poteat](https://github.com/poteat)
* [gpts](https://www.npmjs.com/package/gpts) by [thencc](https://github.com/thencc)
* [@dalenguyen/openai](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@dalenguyen/openai) by [dalenguyen](https://github.com/dalenguyen)
* [tectalic/openai](https://github.com/tectalichq/public-openai-client-js) by [tectalic](https://tectalic.com/)

### PHP

* [orhanerday/open-ai](https://packagist.org/packages/orhanerday/open-ai) by [orhanerday](https://github.com/orhanerday)
* [tectalic/openai](https://github.com/tectalichq/public-openai-client-php) by [tectalic](https://tectalic.com/)
* [openai-php client](https://github.com/openai-php/client) by [openai-php](https://github.com/openai-php)

### Python

* [chronology](https://github.com/OthersideAI/chronology) by [OthersideAI](https://www.othersideai.com/)

### R

* [rgpt3](https://github.com/ben-aaron188/rgpt3) by [ben-aaron188](https://github.com/ben-aaron188)

### Ruby

* [openai](https://github.com/nileshtrivedi/openai/) by [nileshtrivedi](https://github.com/nileshtrivedi)
* [ruby-openai](https://github.com/alexrudall/ruby-openai) by [alexrudall](https://github.com/alexrudall)

### Rust

* [async-openai](https://github.com/64bit/async-openai) by [64bit](https://github.com/64bit)
* [fieri](https://github.com/lbkolev/fieri) by [lbkolev](https://github.com/lbkolev)

### Scala

* [openai-scala-client](https://github.com/cequence-io/openai-scala-client) by [cequence-io](https://github.com/cequence-io)

### Swift

* [AIProxySwift](https://github.com/lzell/AIProxySwift) by [Lou Zell](https://github.com/lzell)
* [OpenAIKit](https://github.com/dylanshine/openai-kit) by [dylanshine](https://github.com/dylanshine)
* [OpenAI](https://github.com/MacPaw/OpenAI/) by [MacPaw](https://github.com/MacPaw)

### Unity

* [OpenAi-Api-Unity](https://github.com/hexthedev/OpenAi-Api-Unity) by [hexthedev](https://github.com/hexthedev)
* [com.openai.unity](https://github.com/RageAgainstThePixel/com.openai.unity) by [RageAgainstThePixel](https://github.com/RageAgainstThePixel)

### Unreal Engine

* [OpenAI-Api-Unreal](https://github.com/KellanM/OpenAI-Api-Unreal) by [KellanM](https://github.com/KellanM)

## Other OpenAI repositories

* [tiktoken](https://github.com/openai/tiktoken) - counting tokens
* [simple-evals](https://github.com/openai/simple-evals) - simple evaluation library
* [mle-bench](https://github.com/openai/mle-bench) - library to evaluate machine learning engineer agents
* [gym](https://github.com/openai/gym) - reinforcement learning library
* [swarm](https://github.com/openai/swarm) - educational orchestration repository