How to Get an OpenAI API Key for Praxiss BYOK AI
Last updated: March 2026
Praxiss uses AI to generate performance review insights, identify employee strengths, and surface patterns across your team's feedback. To power these capabilities, you connect your own API key from a supported provider. This is what we call BYOK AI (Bring Your Own Key): you own the model relationship, you control the data, and you pay the provider directly at cost.
This guide walks you through getting a key from OpenAI and connecting it to Praxiss.
OpenAI is a familiar choice for teams already comfortable with ChatGPT. The API gives you access to the same underlying models through a direct integration, with transparent pay-as-you-go pricing.
Setting up Google Gemini instead? See our Gemini API key setup guide. Prefer Claude? We also cover Anthropic API key setup.
What is the OpenAI API?
The OpenAI API gives you direct access to GPT models, the same models that power ChatGPT, through a programmable interface. Praxiss connects to these models using your API key to run performance review analysis, synthesise feedback patterns, and generate insights across your team.
You access the API through the OpenAI Platform, which issues an API key you can paste into Praxiss.
Step-by-Step: Getting Your API Key
1. Create an OpenAI Account
Go to platform.openai.com and sign up. If you already have a ChatGPT account, you can sign in with the same credentials.
2. Add a Payment Method
OpenAI requires a payment method before you can make API calls. Go to Settings > Billing > Payment methods and add a credit card. You can set a monthly spending limit here too, which is worth doing.
3. handle to API Keys
From the platform dashboard, click API Keys in the left sidebar. Or go directly to platform.openai.com/api-keys.
4. Create a New Key
Click Create new secret key. Give it a descriptive name, something like "Praxiss Production" or "Praxiss - [Your Company Name]". For Praxiss, the default permissions are fine.
5. Copy Your Key Immediately
OpenAI only shows your full key once. Copy it straight away and store it in a password manager. If you lose it, you'll need to create a new one. The key starts with sk- followed by a long string of characters.
6. Paste It into Praxiss
Log into Praxiss as an admin. Go to Settings > Integrations > AI Configuration. Select OpenAI as your provider, paste your API key, and save.
Done. Praxiss will now use OpenAI for AI-native review analysis, feedback synthesis, and insight generation.
Ready to start your Praxiss trial? Start free at app.praxiss.io. 14 days, full features, no credit card required.
Pricing: What Will This Cost?
OpenAI uses pay-as-you-go pricing. You're charged based on the number of tokens processed (roughly equivalent to words). Current pricing as of March 2026:
Model Pricing (Per Million Tokens)
| Model | Input | Output | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-4.1 nano | $0.10 | $0.40 | Cheapest, basic tasks |
| GPT-4.1 mini | $0.40 | $1.60 | Fast, good quality |
| GPT-4.1 | $2.00 | $8.00 | Strong general purpose |
| GPT-5 mini | $0.25 | $2.00 | Latest gen, affordable |
| GPT-5.4 | $2.50 | $15.00 | Most capable model |
Cached Input Discount
When Praxiss sends the same system prompt repeatedly for review analysis, OpenAI caches it and charges 90% less for those cached tokens. This brings costs down significantly in practice.
What Would a Typical Organisation Spend?
Each performance review analysis in Praxiss uses roughly 2,000 to 4,000 input tokens and 1,000 to 2,000 output tokens.
A 50-person organisation doing quarterly reviews:
- About 200 reviews per year
- Roughly 800K input tokens and 400K output tokens
- On GPT-4.1 mini: approximately $0.96 per year
- On GPT-5 mini: approximately $1.00 per year
- On GPT-5.4: approximately $8.00 per year
A 200-person organisation with monthly check-ins:
- About 2,400 reviews per year
- Roughly 9.6M input tokens and 4.8M output tokens
- On GPT-5 mini: approximately $12 per year
- On GPT-5.4: approximately $96 per year
These are small numbers. Even on the most expensive model, a mid-sized company would spend less on Praxiss AI costs than on a single team lunch.
Batch API (50% Discount)
For bulk processing at quarter-end, OpenAI offers a 50% discount through their Batch API. Requests are processed within 24 hours rather than instantly. Praxiss can use this for non-urgent batch analysis.
Do New Accounts Get Free Credits?
OpenAI's free credit policy has changed multiple times. As of early 2026, new accounts typically need to add a payment method before making API calls. Check the billing page after signup to see if any promotional credits apply.
Don't rely on free credits for ongoing use. The good news is that Praxiss AI usage costs are low enough that it barely matters.
Security Tips
API keys give direct access to your OpenAI account, including your billing. Protect them accordingly.
Copy your key once and store it securely. OpenAI won't show it again. Use a password manager, not a spreadsheet.
Never commit keys to source code. If you're integrating Praxiss with other tools, use environment variables.
Set a monthly spending limit. In OpenAI Settings > Billing > Limits, set a hard cap. $20 per month is more than enough for typical Praxiss usage. This protects you if a key is ever compromised.
Rotate keys every 90 days. Create a new key, update Praxiss, delete the old one. Takes about two minutes.
Use project-specific keys. OpenAI lets you create multiple keys with different names. Create one specifically for Praxiss so you can revoke it independently.
Monitor usage. Check your OpenAI usage dashboard monthly. If you see unexpected spikes, rotate your key straight away.
Troubleshooting
"Invalid API key" error in Praxiss
Make sure you copied the complete key, including the sk- prefix. Check for stray spaces. Also confirm you selected OpenAI as the provider in Praxiss settings.
"Insufficient quota" or billing error You need an active payment method. Go to platform.openai.com > Settings > Billing and add a card. Even if your usage is minimal, OpenAI requires billing to be set up.
"Rate limit exceeded" You're sending too many requests too quickly. This usually happens during batch review processing. Wait a minute and try again. If it persists, check your account's rate limits in the OpenAI dashboard. Higher usage tiers get higher limits.
"Model not found" error Praxiss may be requesting a model your account doesn't have access to. Some newer models require account verification or a minimum spend history. Check which models are available at platform.openai.com/docs/models.
Key works in the OpenAI Playground but not in Praxiss Check for invisible characters in the key. Delete the key field in Praxiss completely, then paste it fresh. Some browsers add formatting when pasting.
Which AI Provider Should You Choose?
Praxiss supports OpenAI, Google Gemini, and Anthropic (Claude) through BYOK AI. A quick comparison:
| OpenAI | Google Gemini | Anthropic (Claude) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Limited | Yes, generous | No |
| Cheapest option | $0.10/$0.40 per MTok | $0.10/$0.40 per MTok | $0.25/$1.25 per MTok |
| Best quality | GPT-5.4 | Gemini 3 Pro | Claude Opus 4.6 |
| Best value | GPT-4.1 nano | Gemini 2.0 Flash | Claude Haiku 3 |
| Setup difficulty | Easy (needs billing) | Easy (free to start) | Easy (needs billing) |
Pick OpenAI if: your team already knows ChatGPT, you want a mature and well-documented API, or you value the broadest model selection.
Pick Google Gemini if: you want to start free, your organisation uses Google Workspace, or you want the absolute lowest per-token cost.
Pick Anthropic if: you want thoughtful, well-calibrated AI responses, or your industry has compliance requirements around AI safety.
The honest answer is that all three work well with Praxiss. The cost difference at normal usage levels is a few dollars per year. Go with whichever provider you trust most, and switch any time in Settings.
See also: How to set up a Google Gemini API key for Praxiss | Performance management software compared
Try Praxiss free for 14 days. Full features, no credit card, no lock-in. Start at app.praxiss.io
FAQ
Do I need to add a credit card before using the API? Yes. As of early 2026, OpenAI requires a payment method before you can make API calls. This is different from ChatGPT, which has free tiers. Add your card in Settings > Billing on the OpenAI Platform.
What if I lose my API key? You'll need to create a new one. OpenAI only shows the full key at the moment of creation. If you didn't copy it straight away, go back to platform.openai.com/api-keys, create a new key, and update Praxiss Settings.
Can I set a spending cap? Yes, and you should. In OpenAI Settings > Billing > Limits, set a hard monthly cap. $20 per month covers significant Praxiss usage with headroom to spare.
What happens if I rotate my key? Will Praxiss break? Only temporarily. Update your key in Praxiss Settings immediately after rotating. The window between creating the new key and updating Praxiss is the only period where AI analysis won't function.
Is my review data sent to OpenAI? When Praxiss processes a review using your OpenAI key, the review text is sent to OpenAI's API to generate the analysis. OpenAI's API data usage policies apply. If data residency or privacy is a concern, review OpenAI's terms and consider which provider best fits your organisation's requirements.