Blog

How to get an OpenAI API key

August 1, 2026·2 min read

If you'd rather run TalkingSheet on a GPT model, you'll need your own OpenAI API key — this is separate from a regular ChatGPT subscription, with its own billing.

Steps

1

Go to the OpenAI Platform

Open platform.openai.com and sign in.

2

Open API keys

Click your account menu (top right), then API keys — or go straight to platform.openai.com/api-keys.

3

Create a new secret key

Click Create new secret key, name it "TalkingSheet", and click Create secret key.

4

Copy it immediately

Your key (it starts with sk-) is shown once. Copy it before closing the dialog.

5

Add billing

Go to Settings → Billing and add a payment method — new OpenAI accounts start with no usable balance.

Now add it to TalkingSheet

Open the add-on sidebar → Settings → turn on Use my own API key → pick OpenAI → paste your key → Save. Your key stays in your own Google account's storage — it never touches TalkingSheet's servers. See how BYOK works for details.