Setup8 min read

Tracking OpenAI Costs with CostLynx

Three ways to track OpenAI spend: automatic provider sync, the TypeScript SDK helper, and the Python SDK helper — with attribution per feature and user.

Option A: Provider sync (OpenAI only)

CostLynx can pull usage directly from the OpenAI API on a scheduled basis. This requires no code changes but provides org-level totals only — no project or feature attribution.

1
- Go to Settings → Configure → Provider Connections.
2
- Click Add connection, choose OpenAI, and paste your OpenAI API key.
3
- Click Test to verify. Sync runs automatically on schedule.

Warning

Provider sync gives totals without feature or project breakdown. For attribution, use SDK ingestion (Option B or C) alongside or instead of sync.

Option B: Python SDK (recommended for Python apps)

Install

pip install "costlynx[openai]"

Python — track after every call

import os
from openai import OpenAI
from costlynx import CostLynx

clx = CostLynx(
    ingestion_key=os.environ["COSTLYNX_INGESTION_KEY"],
    default_project="my-app",
    default_environment="prod",
)
client = OpenAI()

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="gpt-4o",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}],
)

# One line — extracts tokens and cost automatically
clx.track_openai_response(response, feature="chat")

Tip

The SDK never raises. Network errors and API failures are swallowed silently. Enable debug=True in development to see them printed to stderr.

Option C: TypeScript SDK

Install

npm install @costlynx/sdk

TypeScript — track after every call

import OpenAI from "openai";
import { CostLynx } from "@costlynx/sdk";

const clx = new CostLynx({
  ingestionKey: process.env.COSTLYNX_INGESTION_KEY!,
  defaultProject: "my-app",
  defaultEnvironment: "prod",
});
const openai = new OpenAI();

const response = await openai.chat.completions.create({
  model: "gpt-4o",
  messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Hello" }],
});

await clx.trackOpenAIResponse(response, { feature: "chat" });

Attribution fields

Field	Type	Description
project	string (slug)	Maps to a project you created in Settings → Configure
environment	string (slug)	prod, staging, dev, or custom slug
feature	string	Free-form label: chat, summariser, copilot, etc.
userIdentifier	string	Opaque user ID for per-user spend breakdown
requestId	string	Idempotency key — use the OpenAI response ID (chatcmpl-...)

← Back to all guides