openai/openai-cookbook
OfficialExamples and guides for using the OpenAI API
72,621 stars rank OpenAI Cookbook as GitHub's premier OpenAI repo -- official, maintained by OpenAI engineers, and first for new models like o3. Developers productionize agents and RAG from notebooks; Vibe Builders paste code into Colab for quick prototypes -- start at cookbook.openai.com.
Best for
Our Review
OpenAI Cookbook leads OpenAI repos with 72,621 GitHub stars -- OpenAI's official set of 200+ Jupyter Notebook examples. Engineers add fresh notebooks weekly on new APIs like realtime and o1 models.
Core examples:
- •GPT and Assistants API Build chatbots, function calling, and multi-agent handoffs with runnable code.
- •RAG and Embeddings Implement retrieval pipelines and vector search for production apps.
- •Realtime API Create voice agents and live transcription without setup hassles.
- •Structured Outputs Parse JSON reliably from o1 and GPT-4o models.
- •Model Migrations Guides shift code from GPT-3.5 to GPT-4o and o3.
OpenAI Ecosystem:
- •Evals Guide Test AI system quality with built-in metrics.
- •Prompt Optimization Techniques boost context engineering results.
Getting started:
Browse cookbook.openai.com for instant online access. Copy notebooks to Colab -- add your OpenAI API key and run.
Limitations:
Requires an OpenAI API key for most examples -- free tier has rate limits. Examples target OpenAI models only; adapting to Claude or Gemini needs significant changes. Not a structured course -- no guided learning path or exercises.
Cons
- Jupyter Notebooks suit Python users only -- non-coders skip prose explanations.
- Requires paid OpenAI API key -- free tier limits scale tests.
- No versioned releases -- updates break old examples occasionally.
- Focuses on OpenAI models -- skip for local or open-weight LLMs.
Our Verdict
Developers grab production patterns here first. Official notebooks deliver exact API calls for RAG, agents, and realtime voice -- saving weeks of trial and error on new models like o3.
Vibe Builders prototype fast. Paste a notebook into Colab, tweak prompts, deploy your first AI app in hours.
Skip if you avoid Jupyter or need video walkthroughs. Pick LangChain docs instead for higher abstractions across providers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OpenAI Cookbook?
The OpenAI Cookbook is OpenAI's official collection of 200+ Jupyter Notebooks for GPT-4o, o3, RAG, Assistants API, function calling, and realtime voice agents.
How many GitHub stars does the OpenAI Cookbook repository have?
The OpenAI Cookbook repository has 72,621 GitHub stars.
What license does the OpenAI Cookbook use?
The OpenAI Cookbook is released under the MIT license.
How frequently is the OpenAI Cookbook updated?
New notebooks are added weekly by OpenAI engineers, with continuous updates extending into 2026.
When should I use the OpenAI Cookbook instead of OpenAI's API reference docs?
The OpenAI Cookbook offers practical Jupyter Notebook examples with no versioned releases for ongoing relevance. Choose OpenAI Cookbook when you need hands-on code, choose API reference docs when you need parameter details.
What is openai-cookbook?
72,621 stars rank OpenAI Cookbook as GitHub's premier OpenAI repo -- official, maintained by OpenAI engineers, and first for new models like o3. Developers productionize agents and RAG from notebooks; Vibe Builders paste code into Colab for quick prototypes -- start at cookbook.openai.com.
How do I install openai-cookbook?
Visit the GitHub repository at https://github.com/openai/openai-cookbook for installation instructions.
What are alternatives to openai-cookbook?
Explore related tools and alternatives on My AI Guide.
Great for: Pro Vibe Builders
Skip if: You need something more beginner-friendly or guided
Open source & community-verified
MIT licensed — free to use in any project, no strings attached. 72,830 developers have starred this, meaning the community has reviewed and trusted it.
Reviewed by My AI Guide for relevance, quality, and active maintenance before listing.