What OpenAI Is Used For

The OpenAI API is used in the web research step. AI with live web access gathers current facts, statistics, and context before the article is written.

Getting an OpenAI API Key

Go to platform.openai.com
Sign up or log in
Go to API Keys in the left sidebar
Click Create new secret key
Copy the key — it starts with sk-

[SCREENSHOT: OpenAI Platform → API Keys page with a "Create new secret key" button and a masked key in the list]

Important: Add Billing Before Using

OpenAI requires a valid payment method before API keys work. Without billing, requests return a 401 error. Add your card at platform.openai.com/billing and set a usage limit to avoid unexpected charges.

Adding the Key to AI SEO Writer

Go to Account → My API Keys
Find the OpenAI API section
Click Add, paste your key, and click Save

[SCREENSHOT: Account → My API Keys — OpenAI API field with a key entered and a green "✓ valid" indicator]

Cost Estimate

The web research step uses a cost-effective model with web search. A typical article uses approximately 3,000–8,000 tokens in this step, costing less than $0.01 per article at current pricing.

Without an OpenAI Key

If no key is set, the system OpenAI key is used as a fallback. Generation continues uninterrupted.

OpenAI API — Setup Guide