# Issues with invalid api key

**URL:** <https://community.openai.com/t/issues-with-invalid-api-key/642946>\
**Category:** API\
**Tags:** api\
**Created:** [February 20, 2024, 12:43pm UTC](https://community.openai.com/t/issues-with-invalid-api-key/642946 "2024-02-20T12:43:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![info.aimeetsmarketin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/openai1/user_avatar/community.openai.com/info.aimeetsmarketin/32/146472_2.png) [@info.aimeetsmarketin](https://community.openai.com/u/info.aimeetsmarketin)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 12:43pm UTC](https://community.openai.com/t/issues-with-invalid-api-key/642946/1 "2024-02-20T12:43:58Z")

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I am trying to make a chatbot for a digital marketing agency. I inserted the right API key and even the document uploaded on replit is visible on the OpenAI platform. But the code says invalid API key please help me with that.

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**Author:** ![\_j](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/openai1/user_avatar/community.openai.com/_j/32/766292_2.png) [@\_j](https://community.openai.com/u/_j)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 3:03pm UTC](https://community.openai.com/t/issues-with-invalid-api-key/642946/2 "2024-02-20T15:03:03Z")

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I would suggest using some of the very simple python examples in the API reference for chat completion to make calls on a local machine before moving to and diagnosing use on another platform or unknown code.

1. Review that the API key you are using is one that is in your funded OpenAI account. They start with “sk-…” [https://platform.openai.com/api-keys](https://platform.openai.com/api-keys)

2. install Python 3.8-3.11 from an official download installer or your OS package manager

3. try out a chatbot demo I posted needing no further libraries. [Can't get openai python package working... please help! - #11 by \_j](https://community.openai.com/t/cant-get-openai-python-package-working-please-help/625313/11) - saving it to `chatbot.py` and running.

For the last, you either set the OS environment variable OPENAI\_API\_KEY to the key value, or you can replace the whole of `{os.environ.get('OPENAI_API_KEY')}` with the actual key text.

Then you can help us figure out what “even the document uploaded on replit is visible on the OpenAI platform” could possibly mean or where you see such a thing. Don’t put your API keys into other’s untrusted sites or software…

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**Author:** ![info.aimeetsmarketin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/openai1/user_avatar/community.openai.com/info.aimeetsmarketin/32/146472_2.png) [@info.aimeetsmarketin](https://community.openai.com/u/info.aimeetsmarketin)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 4:42pm UTC](https://community.openai.com/t/issues-with-invalid-api-key/642946/3 "2024-02-20T16:42:48Z")

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I have done all of them but still not working.

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**Author:** ![Diet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/openai1/user_avatar/community.openai.com/diet/32/562749_2.png) [@Diet](https://community.openai.com/u/Diet)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 6:49pm UTC](https://community.openai.com/t/issues-with-invalid-api-key/642946/4 "2024-02-20T18:49:14Z")

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> [@info.aimeetsmarketin](#):
>
> I have done all of them but still not working.

have you done the last one? 🤠

> [@\_j](#):
>
> Then you can help us figure out what “even the document uploaded on replit is visible on the OpenAI platform” could possibly mean or where you see such a thing.

* * *

> ****
>
> because the OpenAI error message says incorrect api key not invalid api key, so we’re confused if you even have an openai problem 🤔