openai-fetch

library3.4.2jsnpmunverified

A minimal and opinionated OpenAI client powered by native fetch (ESM-only, ~14kb). Version 3.4.2 requires Node 18+ or any runtime with built-in fetch. It supports only chat, completions, embeddings, moderations, and TTS endpoints, offering a lean alternative to the official `openai` package (~152kb) that patches fetch. Ships TypeScript types and is actively maintained on GitHub.

ai-ml

npm install openai-fetch

github ↗package ↗homepage ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · OPENAI-FETCH

openai-fetch

ai-mljavascriptv3.4.2

harness data pending

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

No compatibility data collected yet for this library.

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

OpenAIClient

✓ import { OpenAIClient } from 'openai-fetch'

✗ const OpenAIClient = require('openai-fetch')

ESM-only; CommonJS require is not supported.

type ChatParams

✓ import type { ChatParams } from 'openai-fetch'

✗ import { ChatParams } from 'openai-fetch'

ChatParams is a type; use import type to avoid runtime errors in TypeScript.

ChatParams

✓ import { ChatParams } from 'openai-fetch'

✗ const { ChatParams } = require('openai-fetch')

Require is invalid for ESM packages; also, ChatParams is a type, so import type is preferred.

Demonstrates creating a chat completion using the native fetch client with TypeScript.

import { OpenAIClient } from 'openai-fetch'; const client = new OpenAIClient({ apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY ?? '' }); async function main() { const response = await client.createChatCompletion({ model: 'gpt-4', messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Hello!' }] }); console.log(response.choices[0].message?.content); } main().catch(console.error);

Debug

Known issues

breakingopenai-fetch is ESM-only. It cannot be require()'d from CommonJS.

fix

Use dynamic import: import('openai-fetch') or switch your project to ESM.

affects: >=1.0.0

breakingRequires Node >= 18 or platform with native fetch. Older Node versions or environments without fetch will throw.

fix

Upgrade to Node 18+ or use a fetch polyfill.

affects: >=1.0.0

deprecatedThe client method 'createCompletions' (plural) is deprecated in favor of 'createCompletion' (singular) in v3.0.0? (Check docs).

fix

Use createCompletion for the singular endpoint.

affects: >=3.0.0

gotchaThe apiKey is read from process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY if not provided explicitly. If that env var is not set and no key is passed, an error will be thrown.

fix

Always set OPENAI_API_KEY or pass apiKey option explicitly.

affects: >=1.0.0

Errors

Common errors & fixes

Error: The 'openai-fetch' package is ESM only. Use 'import' instead of 'require'.

Trying to require ESM package in CommonJS module.

fix

import { OpenAIClient } from 'openai-fetch' or use dynamic import.

TypeError: fetch is not a function

Running in Node < 18 or environment without native fetch.

fix

Upgrade to Node >= 18 or use a fetch polyfill like 'node-fetch'.

OPENAI_API_KEY must be provided or set as environment variable

No apiKey provided and OPENAI_API_KEY not set.

fix

Set OPENAI_API_KEY or pass apiKey in client constructor.

TypeScript error: 'ChatParams' is a type and must be imported using 'import type'

Importing a type as a value.

fix

import type { ChatParams } from 'openai-fetch'

Upgrade

Version history

3.4.2latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity

7 hits · last 30 days

node

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/dexaai/openai-fetch ↗

packageopenai-fetch ↗

homepagehttps://github.com/dexaai/openai-fetch#readme ↗