BDM Documentation

Documentation API Setup

API Configuration Guide

Configure your AI API keys to power BDM AI Writer. Complete setup instructions for OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, and other AI providers.

Choose Your AI Provider

OpenAI

GPT-4, GPT-3.5 Turbo

Recommended
Anthropic

Claude 3, Claude 2
Custom API

Your own endpoint

What's Covered in This Guide

API Overview

BDM AI Writer requires at least one AI API to generate content. The API you choose determines the quality, speed, and cost of content generation.

Important: You Need Your Own API Keys

BDM AI Writer does not provide API keys. You must create accounts with AI providers and obtain your own keys.

OpenAI

  • • Most popular choice
  • • GPT-4 & GPT-3.5
  • • Best for general content
  • • Pay-as-you-go pricing

Anthropic Claude

  • • Excellent for long-form
  • • Claude 3 models
  • • Strong reasoning
  • • Competitive pricing

Custom APIs

  • • Self-hosted models
  • • Enterprise solutions
  • • Full control
  • • Variable pricing

OpenAI API Setup

1

Create OpenAI Account

  1. Visit platform.openai.com
  2. Click "Sign Up" in the top right corner
  3. Create account with email or Google/Microsoft account
  4. Verify your email address
  5. Complete phone verification (required)

Note: OpenAI requires phone verification and may have waiting lists during high-demand periods.

2

Add Payment Method

OpenAI uses pay-as-you-go billing. Add a payment method to start using the API.

  1. Go to "Billing" in the left sidebar
  2. Click "Add payment method"
  3. Enter credit card information
  4. Set usage limits (recommended: $10-50/month to start)
  5. Enable email alerts for usage thresholds

Cost Control: Set a monthly budget limit to prevent unexpected charges. You can always increase it later.

3

Generate API Key

  1. Navigate to "API keys" section
  2. Click "Create new secret key"
  3. Give it a name: BDM AI Writer
  4. Copy the key immediately (it won't be shown again)
  5. Store it securely

Example API Key Format:

sk-proj-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Security Warning!

Never share your API key or commit it to version control. Treat it like a password.

4

Configure in BDM AI Writer

  1. Go to AI Writer → Settings → API Configuration
  2. Select "OpenAI" as provider
  3. Paste your API key
  4. Choose default model (GPT-4 recommended)
  5. Click "Test Connection"
  6. Save settings when test succeeds
Connection Successful! You're ready to generate content.

Anthropic Claude API Setup

1

Create Anthropic Account

  1. Visit console.anthropic.com
  2. Click "Get Started" or "Sign Up"
  3. Complete registration form
  4. Verify email address
  5. Complete organization information
2

Configure Billing

Add payment information to access the Claude API.

  1. Navigate to Billing settings
  2. Add payment method
  3. Set monthly budget limits
  4. Configure usage alerts
3

Generate API Key

  1. Go to API Keys section
  2. Click "Create Key"
  3. Name your key: BDM AI Writer
  4. Copy and securely store the key

Example API Key Format:

sk-ant-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
4

Configure in BDM AI Writer

  1. Go to AI Writer → Settings → API Configuration
  2. Select "Anthropic Claude" as provider
  3. Paste your API key
  4. Choose default model (Claude 3 Opus recommended)
  5. Test connection and save

Choosing the Right Model

OpenAI Models Comparison

Model Best For Cost Speed
GPT-4 Turbo Complex content, best quality $$$$ Medium
GPT-4 High-quality articles $$$ Slow
GPT-3.5 Turbo General content, fast $ Fast

Anthropic Claude Models Comparison

Model Best For Cost Context
Claude 3 Opus Complex tasks, best quality $$$ 200K tokens
Claude 3 Sonnet Balanced quality/cost $$ 200K tokens
Claude 3 Haiku Fast, simple content $ 200K tokens

Cost Management & Optimization

Cost-Saving Tips

  • Use GPT-3.5 for simple content
  • Set monthly budget limits
  • Monitor usage regularly
  • Optimize prompts for efficiency
  • Enable usage alerts

Estimated Costs

Blog post (800 words) $0.10 - $0.50
Long article (2000 words) $0.25 - $1.25
Product description $0.02 - $0.10
Social media post $0.01 - $0.05

* Estimates based on GPT-3.5 Turbo pricing

Security Best Practices

Do

  • ✓ Store API keys securely
  • ✓ Use environment variables
  • ✓ Set usage limits
  • ✓ Rotate keys regularly
  • ✓ Monitor for unusual activity

Don't

  • ✗ Share API keys publicly
  • ✗ Commit keys to version control
  • ✗ Use keys in client-side code
  • ✗ Leave keys in plain text
  • ✗ Ignore security alerts

Custom API Configuration

BDM AI Writer supports custom API endpoints for self-hosted models or enterprise solutions.

Required Parameters:

API Endpoint URL https://your-api.com/v1
Authentication Method Bearer Token / API Key
Request Format JSON

Enterprise Support: Contact our support team for assistance configuring custom API endpoints and advanced integrations.

Common Issues & Solutions

Invalid API Key Error

  • • Double-check key was copied completely
  • • Ensure no extra spaces before/after key
  • • Verify key hasn't been revoked or expired
  • • Check you're using correct provider (OpenAI vs Claude)

Rate Limit Exceeded

  • • Wait a few minutes before retrying
  • • Check your API usage dashboard
  • • Upgrade to higher tier plan if needed
  • • Implement request throttling

Billing Issues

  • • Verify payment method is valid
  • • Check monthly spending limit hasn't been reached
  • • Review usage alerts and notifications
  • • Contact provider's billing support

Need Help with API Setup?

Having trouble configuring your API keys or choosing the right provider? We're here to help you get started.

Getting Started Guide Troubleshooting Guide