Link Existing OpenAI ChatGPT Account

Use this page if you already have an OpenAI ChatGPT account and want Dawn to expose OpenAI models through that account instead of charging those runs to Dawn credits. Dawn handles that through a ChatGPT account link for the current workspace owner.

Use the right guide

• This page: link the workspace owner’s existing OpenAI ChatGPT account so Dawn can offer OpenAI models inside the agent model selector on that path.
• MCP and API Credentials: connect Dawn to external clients such as Codex CLI, Cursor, or GitHub Copilot.
• AI Providers and Bring Your Own Keys (BYOK): add provider API keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, or OpenRouter. The linked ChatGPT path does not use that API-key flow.

Why teams use this

• You already pay for OpenAI ChatGPT and want to reuse that account inside Dawn.
• You do not want runs on that linked ChatGPT path to consume Dawn credits.
• You want OpenAI models from that account to appear as a normal choice in agent settings after the account is linked.

What you need before you start

• An active Dawn workspace where the current user is the workspace owner.
• A billing plan that exposes the AI Providers tab for that workspace.
• An existing OpenAI ChatGPT account the workspace owner wants to use in Dawn.
• A workspace/provider catalog that allows the ChatGPT-linked OpenAI model path for that workspace.

How to link the account

1. Open Workspace settings in Dawn Web as the workspace owner.
2. Go to the AI Providers tab.
3. In the separate ChatGPT section, turn on Enabled for this workspace if it is not already enabled.
4. Click Manage ChatGPT link.
5. Start device linking and copy the one-time code.
6. Open the verification URL shown by Dawn, sign in, and approve the link.
7. Return to Dawn and complete polling until status becomes linked.
8. Confirm the dialog now shows the linked account and the ChatGPT section reports that the account is linked.
9. Open an agent profile and choose one of the OpenAI models available through the linked ChatGPT account.

What changes after you link it

• The ChatGPT section shows the workspace owner account as linked.
• The ChatGPT link dialog shows the linked account ID and token expiry instead of an empty status.
• The agent model selector shows the OpenAI models available on that linked account when allowed by plan and account configuration.
• Running an agent request on that path no longer returns provider-link errors.
• Runs backed by that linked ChatGPT account do not consume Dawn credits.

How this differs from Bring Your Own Keys (BYOK)

• This ChatGPT-linked OpenAI path is not configured with a workspace API key.
• It does not appear in the Workspace API keys provider-row list.
• It uses the current workspace owner’s existing OpenAI ChatGPT account instead.
• OpenAI, Anthropic, and OpenRouter Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) are configured separately on AI Providers and Bring Your Own Keys (BYOK).

What to know about ownership

• The ChatGPT link belongs to the current workspace owner, even though it is managed from the workspace AI providers panel.
• If workspace ownership changes, availability of the linked OpenAI model path is re-evaluated against the new owner’s ChatGPT link state.
• A workspace can stay configured for this path and still be unavailable until the new owner links ChatGPT again.

Common issues

AI Providers tab is missing

The current workspace plan does not expose workspace AI provider management, so the owner cannot open the ChatGPT linking path from this UI yet.

“Provider requires linked ChatGPT account”

The workspace owner link is missing or unresolved. Re-open Workspace settings → AI providers and refresh the provider link state.

Linked OpenAI models are not visible in the selector

Check the completed ChatGPT link, the workspace enable toggle in the ChatGPT section, and the plan/model rules that control availability for that path.

I expected this to use a provider API key

This linked OpenAI ChatGPT path in Dawn does not use the BYOK API-key flow. If you want provider API keys, use the AI Providers and Bring Your Own Keys (BYOK) guide instead.

The linked OpenAI path stopped working after ownership changed

The new workspace owner must link ChatGPT again. Dawn does not reuse the previous owner’s ChatGPT account link for the new owner.

I meant to use Dawn from Codex CLI

That is an MCP setup question, not an in-product provider-link question. Use the MCP and API Credentials guide instead.

Security notes

• Treat the device code as sensitive and short-lived.
• Do not share the verification code in chat channels.
• Unlink immediately if account ownership changes.