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Automatic Plugin for WordPress

API Setup Guide

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🔑 API Setup Overview

The Automatic Plugin for WordPress requires several API keys to function optimally. This guide will walk you through obtaining and configuring each API key for maximum performance and cost-effectiveness.

🤖 Required APIs

  • • OpenAI (Content Generation)
  • • Pexels (Free Images)
  • • Unsplash (Premium Images)

⚡ Optional APIs

  • • Pixabay (Additional Images)
  • • Google Translate
  • • Custom RSS APIs

💰 Cost Estimate

  • • OpenAI: $2-5/1000 articles
  • • Pexels: Free forever
  • • Unsplash: Free forever

🤖 OpenAI API Setup

Why OpenAI is Essential

OpenAI powers the AI content generation, content rewriting, and enhancement features. Without it, you'll only have basic RSS importing without AI improvements.

Step 1: Create OpenAI Account

  1. Visit platform.openai.com/signup
  2. Sign up with your email address
  3. Verify your email address
  4. Complete phone number verification
  5. You'll receive $5 in free credits to start

💡 Pro Tip: New accounts get $5 free credits, enough for testing and initial setup.

Step 2: Generate API Key

  1. Log into platform.openai.com
  2. Navigate to API Keys section
  3. Click "Create new secret key"
  4. Give it a name like "WordPress Plugin"
  5. Copy the API key immediately (you won't see it again)

⚠️ Important: Copy the API key immediately! OpenAI only shows it once for security reasons.

Your API key will look like this:

sk-proj-1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef

Step 3: Configure in Plugin

  1. Go to Auto News Importer → OpenAI Settings
  2. Paste your API key in the "OpenAI API Key" field
  3. Set Model to GPT-4.1 (recommended)
  4. Set Max Tokens to 2048
  5. Set Temperature to 0.7
  6. Click "Test Connection" to verify
  7. Save settings

💰 Cost Management

Setting Usage Limits

  • • Set monthly spending limit in OpenAI dashboard
  • • Start with $20/month for testing
  • • Monitor usage daily initially
  • • Scale up based on results

Cost Optimization

  • • Use GPT-4.1 (10x cheaper than Claude 3 Opus)
  • • Enable plugin caching (reduces API calls by 80%)
  • • Optimize prompt length
  • • Monitor token usage

📸 Pexels API Setup

Why Pexels API

Pexels provides high-quality, royalty-free images for your articles. It's completely free with generous rate limits (200 requests/hour, 20,000/month).

Quick Setup Steps

  1. Visit pexels.com/api
  2. Click "Get Started" and create account
  3. Go to "Your API Key" section
  4. Copy your API key
  5. In plugin: Auto News Importer → Image Settings → Pexels API Key
  6. Paste the key and save

Pexels API key format:

1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef12345678

📊 Pexels Rate Limits

• Per Hour: 200 requests
• Per Month: 20,000 requests
• Cost: Completely free

🌅 Unsplash API Setup

Why Unsplash API

Unsplash offers premium, high-resolution images from professional photographers. Free tier provides 50 requests/hour, perfect for smaller sites.

Setup Process

  1. Go to unsplash.com/developers
  2. Register/login and click "New Application"
  3. Fill out application details (describe your website)
  4. Accept terms and create application
  5. Copy the "Access Key" (not Secret Key)
  6. In plugin: Auto News Importer → Image Settings → Unsplash Access Key
  7. Paste key and save

Unsplash Access Key format:

px-1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef

📈 Unsplash Rate Limits

• Demo: 50/hour
• Production: 5,000/hour
• Cost: Free tier available

🔧 Optional API Configurations

📷 Pixabay API

Additional image source with different style options.

  1. Visit pixabay.com/api/docs
  2. Create account and get API key
  3. Add to plugin image settings
Rate Limit: 5,000 requests/hour (free)

🌐 Google Translate API

For advanced translation features beyond built-in support.

  1. Enable in Google Cloud Console
  2. Create service account
  3. Download JSON credentials
  4. Upload to plugin settings
Cost: $20 per 1M characters

✅ Testing Your API Setup

Built-in Test Tools

The plugin includes built-in testing tools to verify each API connection:

  • • OpenAI Test: Generates sample content to verify AI functionality
  • • Image API Test: Searches for test images from each service
  • • Connection Status: Real-time status indicators in admin panel

✅ OpenAI Working

  • • Green status indicator
  • • Sample content generated
  • • No API errors in logs

✅ Images Working

  • • Test images downloaded
  • • Multiple sources active
  • • Proper attribution added

✅ All Systems Go

  • • Dashboard shows green
  • • Content generation active
  • • Ready for production

🔧 Common API Issues & Solutions

❌ OpenAI "Invalid API Key" Error

Causes:

  • Typo in API key (missing characters, extra spaces)
  • Using old API key format
  • API key not activated or expired

Solutions:

  • Double-check API key copy/paste
  • Generate new API key
  • Verify OpenAI account is active

⚠️ Rate Limit Exceeded

What this means: You've hit the API usage limits

Solutions:

  • Wait for rate limit reset (usually 1 hour)
  • Reduce content generation frequency
  • Enable caching to reduce API calls
  • Upgrade to higher tier if needed

🔍 Images Not Loading

Check these items:

  • Image API keys are correct
  • WordPress uploads directory is writable
  • Server has cURL enabled
  • No firewall blocking image downloads

🔒 API Security Best Practices

🛡️ Protecting Your API Keys

  • ✓ Never share API keys publicly or in support requests
  • ✓ Regenerate keys if you suspect they're compromised
  • ✓ Use different keys for testing and production
  • ✓ Monitor usage regularly for unusual activity

💰 Cost Control Measures

  • $ Set spending limits in API provider dashboards
  • $ Enable email notifications for usage alerts
  • $ Start with low limits and scale up gradually
  • $ Monitor daily usage through plugin dashboard