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OpenAI MCP — Auth Setup

OpenAI uses API keys to authenticate requests to its models and platform services.

1. Get your credentials

  1. Open the OpenAI API keys page (opens OpenAI — we never see your key)
  2. Click Create new secret key, give it a name, and set any usage limits
  3. Copy the key — it will not be shown again after you close the dialog

2. Set environment variables

macOS / Linux — add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc:

export OPENAI_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY_HERE

Then run source ~/.zshrc (or open a new terminal).

Windows — run in Command Prompt (then restart):

setx OPENAI_API_KEY "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"

3. Verify

npx claude-skills doctor

You should see ✅ next to the OpenAI MCP entry. If you see ❌, confirm the key is set: echo $OPENAI_API_KEY.

4. Restart Claude Code

Quit and reopen Claude Code (or run /mcp list inside Claude Code to confirm the OpenAI MCP appears).