How to fix “invalid API key” error from OpenAI in n8n?

To fix the "invalid API key" error from OpenAI in n8n, you need to verify that you're using a valid API key, ensure it's correctly formatted, and properly configured in your n8n workflow. This typically involves checking your API key in the OpenAI dashboard, ensuring it's properly copied into n8n without extra spaces or characters, and setting up the correct authentication in your n8n nodes.

 

Step 1: Understand the Error

 

The "invalid API key" error typically occurs for several reasons:

• Your API key may be incorrect or expired
• The key might have been entered with extra spaces or characters
• You might be using the wrong authentication method
• There could be restrictions on your OpenAI account

 

Step 2: Verify Your OpenAI API Key

 

First, make sure you have a valid API key from OpenAI:

• Log in to your OpenAI account at https://platform.openai.com/
• Navigate to the API section
• Go to "API Keys" in the left sidebar
• Check if your existing key is still valid or create a new one if needed

If you need to create a new API key:

• Click the "Create new secret key" button
• Give your key a name for easier identification
• Copy the key immediately (you won't be able to see it again)

 

Step 3: Configure the OpenAI Node in n8n

 

Once you have verified your API key, set it up correctly in n8n:

• Open your n8n workflow
• Add or edit your OpenAI node
• In the credentials section, select "Create new" if you haven't set up credentials before

When creating new credentials:

• Name your credentials something meaningful (e.g., "My OpenAI Account")
• For "Authentication" select "API Key"
• Carefully paste your API key in the "API Key" field, ensuring there are no extra spaces before or after the key
• Click "Create" to save your credentials

 

Step 4: Check the API Key Format

 

OpenAI API keys follow a specific format:

• They typically begin with "sk-" followed by a string of alphanumeric characters
• Current OpenAI API keys are about 51 characters long

Make sure your key follows this format. A proper OpenAI API key looks something like:

sk-abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz1234567890ABCDEFGHIJK

 

Step 5: Test the Connection

 

After setting up your credentials:

• Configure the rest of your OpenAI node parameters (model, prompt, etc.)
• Click "Execute node" to test if the connection works

If it executes successfully, your API key issue is resolved. If not, proceed to the next steps.

 

Step 6: Check for Common Issues

 

If you're still experiencing the error, check these common issues:

• Make sure your OpenAI account has billing information set up (required for API access)
• Verify that your account hasn't exceeded usage limits
• Check if your API key has been restricted for any reason
• Ensure you're not trying to use features not available with your current subscription

 

Step 7: Update the n8n OpenAI Node

 

Sometimes, the issue might be with an outdated n8n version:

• Check if there's an update available for your n8n installation
• Update n8n to the latest version
• After updating, try recreating the OpenAI credentials and testing again

 

Step 8: Use Environment Variables (Optional but Recommended)

 

For better security, consider using environment variables for your API keys:

• In your n8n environment (server or Docker container), set an environment variable for your OpenAI key:

OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-yourapikeyhere

• In n8n, when creating credentials, you can reference this environment variable instead of directly pasting the key
• This approach is more secure and makes it easier to update keys across multiple workflows

 

Step 9: Troubleshoot Network Issues

 

If you're still facing issues, check if there are any network-related problems:

• Ensure that your n8n instance has internet access
• Check if your network allows connections to OpenAI's API endpoints
• If you're behind a corporate firewall or proxy, make sure it's not blocking the connection

 

Step 10: Check OpenAI Service Status

 

Sometimes the issue might be on OpenAI's end:

• Check the OpenAI status page at https://status.openai.com/
• Look for any reported outages or degraded performance
• If there are ongoing issues, wait until they're resolved before trying again

 

Step 11: Check OpenAI API Version

 

OpenAI occasionally updates their API versions:

• Check if the n8n OpenAI node is using the correct API version
• In newer versions of n8n, you might have an option to select the API version in the credentials setup
• Make sure it matches the version your API key is authorized to use

 

Step 12: Contact Support

 

If all else fails:

• For n8n-specific issues, check the n8n forum or GitHub repository
• For OpenAI-related issues, contact OpenAI support
• Provide details about the error, including any error messages and the steps you've already taken

 

Conclusion

 

In most cases, the "invalid API key" error in n8n when using OpenAI is resolved by ensuring you have a valid API key, entering it correctly without any extra spaces or characters, and properly configuring the authentication method. By following the steps outlined above, you should be able to fix this issue and successfully integrate OpenAI services into your n8n workflows.