OpenAI API Troubleshooting

Use this for runtime OpenAI API failures after a request has already been made. Keep key setup in openai-platform-api-key and current guidance in openai-docs.

Routing

1. Sandboxed or blocked outbound network access

   • Treat DNS errors, connection timeouts, connection resets, or inability to reach api.openai.com before any API response as transport problems first.
   • If the failure came from a sandboxed or restricted run, explicitly recommend retrying the actual request with network access enabled or outside that restriction; only classify API-side auth, quota, rate-limit, or model access after a concrete OpenAI response exists.

2. Authentication or missing-key errors

   • Route 401, invalid_api_key, missing OPENAI_API_KEY, or malformed-key cases to authentication.
   • If a key must be created or configured, explicitly hand off to openai-platform-api-key; do not stop at generic "create a fresh key" advice.

3. Quota or credit exhaustion

   • Treat insufficient_quota, "current quota", "billing quota", "run out of credits", or "no balance left" as billing/quota exhaustion, not ordinary throttling.
   • For exhausted credits, prompt the user to add credits and include Add API credits. Do not purchase credits or change billing settings.
   • Link usage caps to https://platform.openai.com/settings/organization/limits.
   • If ambiguous, say it may be credits or a spend limit and consult openai-docs; when useful, note that ChatGPT subscriptions and API billing are separate.