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The OpenAI Ruby library can be installed using Bundler (recommended) or directly via RubyGems.

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Requirements

Before installing, ensure you have:
  • Ruby 3.2.0 or higher
  • RubyGems (comes with Ruby)
  • Bundler (recommended for application development)

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Installation Methods

# Add to your application's Gemfile
gem "openai", "~> 0.51.0"
1

Add the gem to your project

Add the following line to your application’s Gemfile:
gem "openai", "~> 0.51.0"
Then run:
bundle install

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Using gem install

Alternatively, install the gem directly:
gem install openai
2

Set up your API key

The OpenAI client requires an API key to authenticate requests. You can obtain your API key from the OpenAI Platform.Set your API key as an environment variable:
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"
The client will automatically read the API key from the OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable by default.
For production applications, consider using a secure secrets management solution or environment configuration tool.
3

Require the library

In your Ruby code, require the library:
require "bundler/setup"
require "openai"
If you installed the gem directly (not using Bundler), you can simply use require "openai".
4

Verify installation

Create a simple test script to verify the installation:
require "bundler/setup"
require "openai"

client = OpenAI::Client.new
puts "OpenAI client initialized successfully!"
If this runs without errors, you’re ready to start making API calls.

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Optional Configuration

The OpenAI client supports several optional configuration parameters:

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Organization and Project IDs

If you belong to multiple organizations or projects, you can specify which one to use: 
client = OpenAI::Client.new(
  api_key: ENV["OPENAI_API_KEY"],
  organization: ENV["OPENAI_ORG_ID"],
  project: ENV["OPENAI_PROJECT_ID"]
)

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Custom Base URL

Override the default base URL (useful for Azure OpenAI or proxies): 
client = OpenAI::Client.new(
  base_url: "https://api.example.com/v1/"
)

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Retries and Timeouts

Configure retry behavior and request timeouts: 
client = OpenAI::Client.new(
  max_retries: 2,        # Default: 2
  timeout: 600,          # Default: 600 seconds
  initial_retry_delay: 0.5,  # Default: 0.5 seconds
  max_retry_delay: 8.0   # Default: 8.0 seconds
)

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Next Steps

Now that you have the OpenAI Ruby gem installed, head over to the Quick Start guide to make your first API call.

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