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OpenAI provides industry-leading language models that excel at understanding code and generating concise, meaningful commit messages.

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Available Models

GitWhisper supports the full range of OpenAI models:

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GPT-5 Series (Latest)

The newest generation with enhanced capabilities:
  • gpt-5 - Most advanced model with superior reasoning
  • gpt-5-pro - Enhanced version for complex tasks
  • gpt-5-mini - Faster, cost-effective option
  • gpt-5-nano - Ultra-fast for simple tasks

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GPT-4.1 Series

Improved GPT-4 with better performance:
  • gpt-4.1 - Enhanced GPT-4 with improved accuracy
  • gpt-4.1-mini - Balanced speed and quality
  • gpt-4.1-nano - Lightweight and efficient

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GPT-4o Series

  • gpt-4o ⭐ (default) - Optimized for speed and cost
  • gpt-4o-mini - Most cost-effective option
  • gpt-4.5-preview - Preview of upcoming features

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Realtime Series

Real-time optimized models:
  • gpt-realtime - Low-latency responses
  • gpt-realtime-mini - Fastest option available

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o-Series (Reasoning Models)

Specialized models with enhanced reasoning:
  • o1-preview - Advanced reasoning capabilities
  • o1-mini - Compact reasoning model
  • o3-mini - Latest reasoning model
The default model gpt-4o provides an excellent balance of quality, speed, and cost for most use cases.

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Usage

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Basic Usage

Generate commit messages with OpenAI: 
# Use default OpenAI model (gpt-4o)
gitwhisper commit --model openai

# Shorthand
gw commit -m openai

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Specific Variant

Choose a specific model variant: 
# Use GPT-5
gitwhisper commit --model openai --model-variant gpt-5

# Use o3-mini for reasoning
gitwhisper commit --model openai --model-variant o3-mini

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Set as Default

Make OpenAI your default model: 
# Set OpenAI as default
gitwhisper set-defaults --model openai

# Set specific variant as default
gitwhisper set-defaults --model openai --model-variant gpt-5

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API Key Setup

You need an OpenAI API key to use these models. Get one at platform.openai.com. 
gitwhisper save-key --model openai --key "sk-..."
The key is stored securely in ~/.git_whisper.yaml

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Model Comparison

ModelQualitySpeedCostBest For
gpt-5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐💰💰💰Complex codebases
gpt-4.1⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐💰💰Balanced usage
gpt-4o⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐💰💰Default choice
gpt-4o-mini⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐💰High volume

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Features

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Advanced Code Understanding

OpenAI models excel at:
  • Understanding complex code changes across multiple files
  • Identifying the intent behind refactorings
  • Generating context-aware commit messages
  • Following conventional commit formats

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Interactive Confirmation

After generating a commit message, you can:
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Review

Review the generated commit message
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Edit

Edit the message if needed
3

Retry

Generate a new message with the same model
4

Switch Model

Try a different model for comparison

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Code Analysis

Use OpenAI models for detailed code analysis: 
# Analyze staged changes
gitwhisper analyze --model openai

# Analyze with specific variant
gitwhisper analyze --model openai --model-variant gpt-5
The analysis includes:
  • Summary of changes
  • Potential issues or bugs
  • Suggestions for improvements
  • Code quality recommendations

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Tips for Best Results

  • Use gpt-5 for complex, multi-file changes
  • Use gpt-4o for everyday commits
  • Use gpt-4o-mini for simple, single-file changes
  • Use o-series when you need deep reasoning about code logic
  • Stage related changes together
  • Keep commits focused on a single purpose
  • Avoid mixing formatting changes with logic changes
gitwhisper commit --model openai --prefix "JIRA-123"
Add ticket numbers to link commits to issues

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Pricing

OpenAI charges based on tokens used. Typical commit message generation uses:
  • Small changes: ~500-1,000 tokens
  • Medium changes: ~1,500-3,000 tokens
  • Large changes: ~5,000+ tokens
Check OpenAI’s pricing page for current rates.
Cost Management: For large diffs, GitWhisper prompts you to interactively stage files to keep token usage manageable.

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Troubleshooting

Error: Invalid API key
Solution: Verify your API key is correct and active:
gitwhisper save-key --model openai --key "sk-..."

Error: Rate limit exceeded
Solution: Wait a few moments or upgrade your OpenAI plan for higher limits.
Error: Model not found
Solution: Check the model name spelling or list available variants:
gitwhisper list-variants --model openai

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Next Steps

Claude Models

Compare with Anthropic’s Claude models

All Variants

View complete list of OpenAI variants

Configuration

Learn more about API key management

Code Analysis

Use OpenAI for code analysis

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