Create an OpenAI account, generate an API key, and connect it to ARKA-AI to access GPT-4o and other models.
If you don't already have an OpenAI account:
Go to platform.openai.com
Click Sign up and create an account with your email or Google account.
Complete email and phone verification. You may need to add a payment method to access API features.
Navigate to platform.openai.com/api-keys
Click Create new secret key. Give it a name like "ARKA-AI" for easy identification.
Important: Copy the key immediately! OpenAI only shows it once. The key will look like:
sk-proj-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxSave Your Key Securely
OpenAI only displays your API key once when it's created. If you lose it, you'll need to generate a new one. Store it in a secure password manager.
OpenAI uses a prepaid credit system. Before you can use the API, you need to add credits:
Navigate to Billing settings
Add a credit card to your account.
Click Add to credit balance and add at least $5 to get started. Set up auto-recharge if you want to avoid interruptions.
Set Usage Limits
OpenAI lets you set monthly usage limits to control costs. Go to Billing → Usage limits to configure a maximum monthly spend.
With an OpenAI API key, you get access to these models in ARKA-AI:
| Model | Cost (per 1K tokens) | Context | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-4o | $0.005 in / $0.015 out | 128K | General purpose, coding, reasoning |
| GPT-4o Mini | $0.00015 in / $0.0006 out | 128K | Fast, cheap, simple tasks |
| GPT-4 Turbo | $0.01 in / $0.03 out | 128K | Complex coding, long-form content |
| o1 Mini | $0.003 in / $0.012 out | 128K | Advanced reasoning, math, logic |
In ARKA-AI, go to Settings → API Keys.
Click Add Key, select OpenAI as the provider.
Paste your API key and click Save. ARKA-AI will validate the key.
Once connected, ARKAbrain will automatically route requests to OpenAI models when they're the best fit for your task.