How to create an OpenAI API Key for Termerly

A simple guide to connect your Termerly account to OpenAI and generate policy drafts using GPT models

Why does Termerly need your OpenAI API Key?

Termerly generates policy drafts (privacy, terms, cookies, etc.) using artificial intelligence models. For those drafts to be written with OpenAI's GPT models, Termerly needs to connect to your OpenAI account through an API Key.

An API Key is like a personal key that lets Termerly talk to OpenAI on your behalf. You generate it once on OpenAI's website, paste it into Termerly's settings, and from that moment on you can generate your drafts with GPT.

What you'll need on hand

• An email address (or a Google, Microsoft, or Apple account).
• Your mobile phone to receive an SMS verification code.
• A credit or debit card.
• A modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari).

Estimated time: 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 1: Create your OpenAI account

Open your browser and go to https://platform.openai.com. Heads up: this is not chatgpt.com — it's a different site (the developer portal).

Click "Sign up". The easiest option, if you already have a Google, Microsoft, or Apple account, is the one-click quick sign-in.

After signing up, OpenAI will send you an email with a verification link. Click it, then confirm your phone number by typing the code you'll receive by SMS. This is to prevent fake accounts.

Step 2: Load credit on OpenAI (this costs money)

The OpenAI API works like a prepaid card. You load credit, you spend it as Termerly generates drafts, and when it runs out it runs out. There are no surprises on the bill, but if you go down to zero, Termerly will tell you it can't generate more drafts until you top up.

To load credit:

1. In the left menu of platform.openai.com, open "Settings".
2. Click "Billing".
3. Click "Add payment method" and enter your card details.
4. Load an initial balance. The minimum is usually 5 USD, more than enough to generate many drafts with the cheaper models.

Step 3: Generate your API Key

In the left menu of platform.openai.com, open "API keys", or go directly to https://platform.openai.com/api-keys.

Click the "Create new secret key" button. A small window will pop up with three options:

• Name: type "Termerly". That way, if you create more keys later for other tools, you'll know which one is for Termerly.
• Project: if it's your first time, leave it on the default project. Don't overthink it.
• Permissions: leave the "All" option (full access).

Click "Create secret key". You'll see a long key starting with sk-proj- followed by a bunch of letters and numbers. That's your API Key.

Step 4: Paste it into Termerly

Go back to Termerly and into your dashboard:

1. Sign in to your Termerly account.
2. In the side menu, go to Settings → Account.
3. Scroll down to the OpenAI (GPT) section.
4. Paste the key you just copied into the "Paste your API key" field.
5. Click the "Save" button.

If the key is valid, you'll see the field's status change from "Not connected" (red) to "Connected" (blue). From that moment on, Termerly can generate drafts with GPT models on your behalf.

Step 5: Verify the connection works

Termerly has a button labeled "Test connection" right below the API Key field. Clicking it is the fastest way to know if everything is right:

• If the connection works, you'll see a green check and a "Last used" date will appear under the field.
• If the connection fails, Termerly will tell you what happened (zero balance, invalid key, etc.).

From here you can start generating policy drafts in Termerly with GPT models. Each draft will consume a tiny bit of your OpenAI balance; you can check how much you're spending in the "Usage" section at platform.openai.com.

Step 6: Take care of your API Key

Your API Key is exactly like a digital credit card: anyone who has it can spend your OpenAI balance on your behalf. So:

• Don't paste it in public chats or share it via email, social media, forums, or videos.
• Don't post it where others can see it (screenshots on social media, for example).
• Create a different key for each tool. The one you generated for Termerly should only be used in Termerly.
• If you suspect it has leaked, run to platform.openai.com/api-keys and click "Revoke" on that key. Then generate a new one and paste it back in Termerly using the "Update" button.
• Check the "Usage" section on OpenAI every now and then to spot unusual consumption.

Things that can go wrong and how to fix them

Wrapping up

Connecting Termerly to OpenAI isn't as complicated as it sounds: you sign up on OpenAI, load credit, generate the key, paste it into Termerly's settings, and you're done. From there, you can ask Termerly to generate policy drafts with GPT models.

Only two things truly deserve your attention: set a spending cap on OpenAI before starting (so you can sleep peacefully) and treat the key like a password (don't share it with anyone, not even with co-workers). If you ever get lost, come back to this guide and re-read the relevant step.