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# OpenAI compatibility

Gemini models are accessible using the OpenAI libraries (Python and TypeScript / Javascript) along with the REST API, by updating three lines of code and using your Gemini API key. If you aren't already using the OpenAI libraries, we recommend that you call the Gemini API directly.

## What changed? Just three lines\!

  * `api_key="GEMINI_API_KEY"`: Replace "GEMINI\_API\_KEY" with your actual Gemini API key, which you can get in Google AI Studio.
  * `base_url="https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/"`: This tells the OpenAI library to send requests to the Gemini API endpoint instead of the default URL.
  * `model="gemini-2.0-flash"`: Choose a compatible Gemini model.

## Thinking

Gemini 2.5 models are trained to think through complex problems, leading to significantly improved reasoning. The Gemini API comes with a "thinking budget" parameter which gives fine grain control over how much the model will think.

Unlike the Gemini API, the OpenAI API offers three levels of thinking control: "low", "medium", and "high", which behind the scenes we map to 1K, 8K, and 24K thinking token budgets.

If you want to disable thinking, you can set the reasoning effort to "none".

```shell
curl "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/chat/completions" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer GEMINI_API_KEY" \
-d '{    "model": "gemini-2.5-flash-preview-04-17",    "reasoning_effort": "low",    "messages": [        {"role": "user", "content": "Explain to me how AI works"}      ]    }'
```

## Streaming

The Gemini API supports streaming responses.

```shell
curl "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/chat/completions" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer GEMINI_API_KEY" \
-d '{    "model": "gemini-2.0-flash",    "messages": [        {"role": "user", "content": "Explain to me how AI works"}    ],    "stream": true  }'
```

## Function calling

Function calling makes it easier for you to get structured data outputs from generative models and is supported in the Gemini API.

```shell
curl "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/chat/completions" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer GEMINI_API_KEY" \
-d '{  "model": "gemini-2.0-flash",  "messages": [    {      "role": "user",      "content": "What'\''s the weather like in Chicago today?"    }  ],  "tools": [    {      "type": "function",      "function": {        "name": "get_weather",        "description": "Get the current weather in a given location",        "parameters": {          "type": "object",          "properties": {            "location": {              "type": "string",              "description": "The city and state, e.g. Chicago, IL"
            },
            "unit": {
              "type": "string",
              "enum": ["celsius", "fahrenheit"]
            }
          },
          "required": ["location"]
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  "tool_choice": "auto"
}'
```

## Image understanding

Gemini models are natively multimodal and provide best in class performance on many common vision tasks.

```shell
bash -c '
  base64_image=$(base64 -i "Path/to/agi/image.jpeg");
  curl "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/chat/completions" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer GEMINI_API_KEY" \
    -d "{
      \"model\": \"gemini-2.0-flash\",
      \"messages\": [
        {
          \"role\": \"user\",
          \"content\": [
            { \"type\": \"text\", \"text\": \"What is in this image?\" },
            {
              \"type\": \"image_url\",
              \"image_url\": { \"url\": \"data:image/jpeg;base64,${base64_image}\" }
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }"'
```

## Generate an image

**Note:** Image generation is only available in the paid tier.

Generate an image:

```shell
curl "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/images/generations" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer GEMINI_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
        "model": "imagen-3.0-generate-002",
        "prompt": "a portrait of a sheepadoodle wearing a cape",
        "response_format": "b64_json",
        "n": 1,
      }'
```

## Audio understanding

Analyze audio input:

**Note:** If you get an Argument list too long error, the encoding of your audio file might be too long for curl.

```shell
bash -c '
  base64_audio=$(base64 -i "/path/to/your/audio/file.wav");
  curl "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/chat/completions" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer GEMINI_API_KEY" \
    -d "{
      \"model\": \"gemini-2.0-flash\",
      \"messages\": [
        {
          \"role\": \"user\",
          \"content\": [
            { \"type\": \"text\", \"text\": \"Transcribe this audio file.\" },
            {
              \"type\": \"input_audio\",
              \"input_audio\": {
                \"data\": \"${base64_audio}\",
                \"format\": \"wav\"
              }
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }"'
```

## Structured output

Gemini models can output JSON objects in any structure you define.

```python
from pydantic import BaseModel
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key="GEMINI_API_KEY",
    base_url="https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/")

class CalendarEvent(BaseModel):
    name: str
    date: str
    participants: list[str]

completion = client.beta.chat.completions.parse(
    model="gemini-2.0-flash",
    messages=[
        {"role": "system", "content": "Extract the event information."},
        {"role": "user", "content": "John and Susan are going to an AI conference on Friday."},
    ],
    response_format=CalendarEvent,)

print(completion.choices[0].message.parsed)
```

## Embeddings

Text embeddings measure the relatedness of text strings and can be generated using the Gemini API.

```shell
curl "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/embeddings" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer GEMINI_API_KEY" \
-d '{    "input": "Your text string goes here",    "model": "text-embedding-004"  }'
```

## List models

Get a list of available Gemini models:

```shell
curl https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/models \
-H "Authorization: Bearer GEMINI_API_KEY"
```

## Retrieve a model

Retrieve a Gemini model:

```shell
curl https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/models/gemini-2.0-flash \
-H "Authorization: Bearer GEMINI_API_KEY"
```

## Current limitations

Support for the OpenAI libraries is still in beta while we extend feature support.

If you have questions about supported parameters, upcoming features, or run into any issues getting started with Gemini, join our Developer Forum.

## What's next

Try our OpenAI Compatibility Colab to work through more detailed examples.