OpenAI: Getting Started with the OpenAI API
Build your first AI applications with the OpenAI Python SDK. Master authentication, the Responses API, streaming, token optimization, and structured outputs through 5 hands-on labs.
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About This Course
Course Curriculum
10 Lessons
The OpenAI API Ecosystem
Learn about OpenAI's model family, authentication, the Responses API, and context windows in this AI-led teaching lesson.
API Setup & First Requests - Lab Exercises
Authenticate with the OpenAI SDK, list available models, and make your first Responses API call. Build a CLI tool that validates authentication and inspects the full response object.
Chat Completions & the Responses API
Deep-dive into the Responses API request lifecycle, message roles, response_format for JSON output, Pydantic structured outputs, and production-safe parsing strategies.
Structured Responses - Lab Exercises
Build a FAQ generator using response_format JSON mode, Pydantic structured outputs with client.responses.parse(), and production-safe refusal handling.
Streaming Completions
Learn how streaming works with server-sent events, how to iterate token deltas in real time, and how to build a live-rendering terminal assistant with the Responses API.
Streaming Terminal Assistant - Lab Exercises
Build a live-streaming terminal assistant that renders tokens as they arrive, measures time-to-first-token, and compares streaming vs non-streaming latency.
Token Counting, Pricing & Cost Optimization
Understand how tokenization works with tiktoken, read the usage object, calculate costs across model tiers, and enforce max_output_tokens budget controls.
Token Profiling & Model Selection - Lab Exercises
Build a token profiler that benchmarks GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1-mini, and GPT-4.1-nano on identical prompts, comparing latency, token usage, and cost per request.
Capstone Briefing: Command-Line AI Assistant
Review everything from the course — authentication, Responses API, streaming, token optimization — and get briefed on the capstone project architecture you'll build next.
Capstone Project: CLI AI Assistant
Build a multi-model CLI assistant that routes prompts to the right model tier, streams responses, logs interactions as structured JSON, and handles rate limits with exponential backoff.
This course includes:
- 24/7 AI Instructor Support
- Live Lab Environments
- 5 Hands-on Lessons
- 6 Months Access
- Completion Badge
- Certificate of Completion
Earn Your Badge
Complete all lessons to unlock the OpenAI API Foundations achievement badge.
OpenAI API Foundations
Awarded for completing Getting Started with the OpenAI API. Demonstrates ability to authenticate, call models, stream responses, optimize token costs, and build CLI AI applications using the OpenAI Python SDK.
Skills You'll Earn
Complete all lessons in this course to earn this badge