OpenAI API Key Setup

Learn how to obtain an OpenAI API key and configure it in WarmOpener. This one-time setup enables unlimited AI personalization for your campaigns.

Step 1: Create OpenAI Account

  1. Visit platform.openai.com/signup
  2. Sign up with your email or Google account
  3. Verify your email address
  4. Add a payment method (required for API access)

Step 2: Generate API Key

  1. Navigate to platform.openai.com/api-keys
  2. Click + Create new secret key
  3. Give it a name (e.g., "WarmOpener Production")
  4. Copy the key immediately (you won't be able to see it again!)
  5. Store it somewhere safe temporarily (e.g., password manager)

Step 3: Configure in WarmOpener

  1. In WarmOpener, navigate to Settings in the sidebar
  2. Find the OpenAI API Key section
  3. Paste your API key into the input field
  4. Click Save API Key
  5. You'll see a success message confirming the key is saved

Security & Encryption

Your OpenAI API key is stored securely in WarmOpener:

  • Encrypted at rest: Uses pgcrypto (PGP symmetric encryption) with AES-256
  • Never exposed to frontend: Only decrypted server-side when making AI requests
  • Database encrypted: Even if someone accessed the database, they couldn't decrypt the key
  • Revocable: You can revoke the key in OpenAI dashboard anytime

Setting Usage Limits

To prevent unexpected charges, set usage limits in your OpenAI account:

  1. Go to platform.openai.com/account/billing/limits
  2. Set a Monthly Budget (e.g., $50/month for typical usage)
  3. Enable Email Notifications at 75% and 90% of budget
  4. Set a Hard Limit to prevent overages

Monitoring Usage

Track your API costs in the Open AI dashboard:

  • Usage Page: platform.openai.com/usage
  • What you'll see: Daily token usage, costs by model, total spend
  • Filtering: View by date range, model (gpt-3.5-turbo vs gpt-4), project

Troubleshooting

"Invalid API Key" Error

  • Check for typos when pasting the key
  • Ensure there are no extra spaces before or after
  • Verify the key wasn't revoked in OpenAI dashboard
  • Make sure you copied the entire key (starts with "sk-")

"Rate Limit Exceeded" Error

  • OpenAI has rate limits: 3,500 requests/min for GPT-3.5-turbo
  • Wait a few minutes and try again
  • For large batches (1000+ contacts), process in smaller chunks

"Insufficient Quota" Error

  • Your OpenAI account has reached its spending limit
  • Add credits or increase your monthly budget
  • New accounts may have lower initial limits - they increase over time

⚠️ Keep Your API Key Private

Never share your OpenAI API key publicly (GitHub, Slack, email, etc.). If compromised:

  1. Immediately revoke the key in OpenAI dashboard
  2. Generate a new key
  3. Update WarmOpener settings with the new key
  4. Review your OpenAI usage for any suspicious activity

💡 Pro Tip

Start with GPT-3.5-turbo (default) for cost-effective personalization. Upgrade to GPT-4 only if you need more nuanced, creative content. For most B2B outreach, GPT-3.5-turbo is more than sufficient and 10x cheaper.

Need help? Email Support
API Key Setup | WarmOpener Docs | WarmOpener