What you will finish with
One dedicated OpenAI API key
The key connects Lakeview Lister to your OpenAI API account and its usage billing.
Before you start
Use the API Platform, not ChatGPT settings.
- An email address or supported sign-in for an OpenAI API Platform account.
- A payment method if your API account requires billing before it can make requests.
- Lakeview Lister installed so you can test the key immediately after creating it.
Create this key and manage API billing at platform.openai.com . A ChatGPT chat subscription is not where API keys or API usage billing are configured.
Create or choose the account
Open the OpenAI API Platform.
- Sign in to the OpenAI API Platform.
Open the official OpenAI Platform and create an account if needed.
- Choose the correct organization.
If the account belongs to more than one organization, select the organization that should own and pay for Lakeview Lister’s usage.
- Create or select a project.
A dedicated project named Lakeview Lister makes its keys and usage easier to identify. The default project also works if you prefer to keep everything together.
Prepare for API usage
Configure billing and a spending limit.
- Open the organization’s Billing page.
- Add a payment method or credits if the portal asks for them.
Follow the billing option shown for your account. The API will not process paid requests when the account has no available API balance or billing authorization.
- Open Limits and set a monthly budget.
Use Organization › Limits to set a small starting limit and alert threshold that fits your expected listing volume.
A budget alert only notifies you. A hard limit stops new requests when reached, which can make Lakeview Lister report an insufficient-quota error until the limit resets or is raised.
Generate the credential
Create a project API key.
- Open API Keys.
With the intended organization and project selected, go to the official API Keys page .
- Select Create new secret key.
Name the key Lakeview Lister so you can recognize and revoke it later without affecting unrelated applications.
- Confirm the project and permissions.
Make sure the key belongs to the project you prepared. If you restrict permissions, the key must still be able to send the model requests Lakeview Lister uses.
- Create and copy the secret.
Copy the complete value while it is visible. OpenAI will not display the full secret again after you close the dialog.
Do not email it, paste it into chat, or include it in a screenshot. If it is exposed, delete it on the API Keys page and create a replacement.
Return to the app
Add, test, and save the key.
- Open your Profile.
Under Tools, select Profile, then expand AI Providers.
- Expand ChatGPT.
The provider card is named ChatGPT in Lakeview Lister.
- Paste the new secret into OpenAI API Key.
Paste only the key—do not add quotation marks, a label, or a space before or after it.
- Select Test Key.
Wait for Lakeview Lister to confirm that OpenAI accepted the credential.
- Choose ChatGPT under Active AI Provider if it should be your default for runs.
This choice is separate from saving the key. You can keep keys saved for other providers without making them the default.
- Select Save Profile.
Lakeview Lister saves the credential securely on your computer.
Lakeview Lister supplies the model and service connection settings. The model shown below the field is informational; you do not enter a model or URL.
Test Key succeeds and, after you save the profile, the ChatGPT card shows Key saved or Selected when it is the default provider for runs.
Troubleshooting
Check the key, project, and API balance.
The key is invalid or OpenAI returns 401.
Create a fresh project key, recopy the complete secret, and paste it without spaces. Confirm the original key was not deleted or revoked.
Lakeview Lister reports insufficient quota or 429.
Check the API Platform Billing and Limits pages. Add billing if required, confirm available credit, and make sure a hard spend limit has not been reached.
The account has ChatGPT access but the API test fails.
ChatGPT access does not configure the API project. Finish API billing at platform.openai.com, then test a key created from that API project.
A restricted key is rejected.
Edit its permissions or create a new key that can make the model requests required by Lakeview Lister, then test again.
The key may have been exposed.
Delete it immediately on OpenAI’s API Keys page, create a replacement, and update Lakeview Lister.
Official references
OpenAI documentation used for this guide
OpenAI can change portal labels and billing options. If the portal differs from this page, follow the current OpenAI instructions and contact Lakeview Lister support without sharing your key.