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Provider: OpenAI

OpenAI Provider

OpenAI provides GPT-4o and the o-series reasoning models. Widely used, well-documented, and available in most regions.

Get an API Key

  1. Go to platform.openai.com
  2. Sign in or create an account
  3. Navigate to API Keys in the left sidebar
  4. Click Create new secret key and copy it

Your key will look like: sk-proj-... or sk-...

Configure VibeCody

Option 1: Environment variable (recommended)

export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-proj-..."
vibecli --provider openai

Option 2: Config file (~/.vibecli/config.toml)

[openai]
enabled = true
api_key = "sk-proj-..."
model = "gpt-4o"

Option 3: API key helper (for key rotation / vault integration)

[openai]
enabled = true
api_key_helper = "~/.vibecli/get-key.sh openai"
model = "gpt-4o"

Model Selection

Model Strengths Context Best for
gpt-4o Best overall quality, multimodal 128K tokens Daily coding, code review, generation
gpt-4o-mini Fast and affordable 128K tokens Quick tasks, completions, simple edits
o3 Advanced reasoning 200K tokens Complex debugging, architecture, math
o3-mini Fast reasoning 200K tokens Moderate reasoning at lower cost
o4-mini Latest compact reasoning 200K tokens Balanced reasoning and speed

Default: gpt-4o

Override from the CLI:

vibecli --provider openai --model o3

Pricing

Pricing as of early 2026 (check openai.com/pricing for current rates):

Model Input (per 1M tokens) Output (per 1M tokens)
GPT-4o $2.50 $10.00
GPT-4o mini $0.15 $0.60
o3 $10.00 $40.00
o3-mini $1.10 $4.40

Tip: Use GPT-4o mini for quick questions and simple tasks. Use GPT-4o for complex coding. Reserve o3 for hard reasoning problems.

Custom API URL

For Azure OpenAI, proxies, or compatible APIs (e.g., local LLM servers with OpenAI-compatible endpoints):

[openai]
enabled = true
api_url = "https://my-proxy.example.com/v1"
model = "gpt-4o"

For Azure OpenAI specifically, use the dedicated Azure provider instead:

[azure_openai]
enabled = true
api_key = "..."
api_url = "https://<resource>.openai.azure.com"
model = "gpt-4o"

Verify Connection

vibecli --provider openai -c "Say hello and identify yourself"

Troubleshooting

Invalid API key

Error: 401 Unauthorized
  • Verify the key starts with sk- and has not been revoked
  • Check at platform.openai.com/api-keys
  • If using an env var, confirm it is exported: echo $OPENAI_API_KEY

Insufficient quota

Error: 429 - You exceeded your current quota

Rate limited

Error: 429 Too Many Requests
  • OpenAI applies per-key rate limits (tokens per minute and requests per minute)
  • Wait a moment and retry, or upgrade your usage tier
  • Consider using GPT-4o mini for high-volume tasks

Model not available

Error: 404 - model not found
  • Some models require specific access (e.g., o3 may require tier 5)
  • Check your available models at platform.openai.com/docs/models
  • Verify the model name is spelled correctly

Timeout

Error: request timed out
  • o3 reasoning requests can take 30-120 seconds for complex tasks
  • Check your network connection
  • If behind a corporate proxy, configure api_url