Note: AI integrations are available on Builder tier and above. If you’re on the Free tier, you’ll need to upgrade your app to use backend functions and payment features.

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Step-by-step setup

1

Visit your AI provider’s developer portal

  1. Open your provider’s developer portal in a new browser tab  Open AI AP Ikeys Pn
    We’re using OpenAI for this example and their developer portal is at: https://platform.openai.com
  2. Log in or create a new account
  3. Go to the API keys section
2

New Enable API access if needed

  1. Go to your provider’s billing or **payment **section. Open AI Billing Pn
    To obtain and utilize an OpenAI API key, a paid account is required. While creating an OpenAI account is free, using the API necessitates funding the account with a credit balance or having a billing method on file. OpenAI operates on a pay-per-use model for its API services, where charges are incurred based on the actual usage of the models.
  2. Add a valid payment method such as a credit card or PayPal.
  3. (Optional) Set up a spending limit to control costs. Open AI Usage Pn
  4. Make sure your account has active credits if your provider requires it.
3

Create a new API key

  1. In your provider’s API keys section, click Create new API key  Open AI Createsecretkey Pn
    Note: The button text may be different across providers. Sometimes it may be called “Create new secret”
  2. Copy the generated key immediately because you may not be able to see it again.
4

Go to the Base44 integration catalog

  1. Head to Base44 and click on Integrations Integrations Pn
    Make sure you’re logged into Base44 to view the Integrations catalog page
  2. Use the search bar or scroll to find your AI provider
  3. Select your AI provider and click “Use this integration”
    (in this example we are using OpenAI)     Base44 Open AI Integration Pn
5

Add your API key to Base44

  1. Type out your app idea inside the AI chat box 
  2. Paste the key when prompted Integrations Paste AP Ikey Pn Example: For OpenAI you might see: OPENAI_API_KEY
Optional: You can save your key securely in Dashboard → Secrets so you can reuse it later.
Important: Never paste API keys into public code, visible components, or prompts.
6

Tell the AI what to do

  1. Once your app has been created, in the Base44 chat, describe the task you want the AI to perform Integrations Imagegen1 Pn
  2. Base44 will create the backend and frontend components for you.
  3. You can improve the AI’s behavior with follow-up prompts.
7

Test your AI integration

  1. Try your AI feature with test inputs or example prompts. Learnlink Imagegen Pn
  2. Check the AI’s output.
  3. Experiment with different styles, tones, or examples until it works the way you want.
 When running tests, do not paste real customer data. Use sample or dummy content.
8

Go live

Once everything works:
  • Preview your app on different devices
  • Deploy it and share with others
  • Monitor your API usage in your provider’s dashboard

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Recap

What you did (no coding required)
  • Selected an AI provider for your use case.
  • Connected it securely with an API key.
  • Let Base44 handle the backend setup.
  • Used prompts to design your AI’s behavior.
  • Tested and launched your AI-powered app.
You now have a working AI integration. You can repeat these steps for any provider that uses API keys, not just OpenAI. 

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FAQ