Skip to main content
The OpenAI Batch API allows you to process large volumes of requests asynchronously at 50% cheaper costs than synchronous requests. However, tracking these batch requests for observability can be challenging since they don’t go through the standard real-time proxy flow. This guide shows you how to use Helicone’s Manual Logger to comprehensively track your OpenAI Batch API requests, giving you full visibility into costs, performance, and request patterns.

Why Track Batch Requests?

Batch processing offers significant cost savings, but without proper tracking, you lose visibility into:
  • Cost analysis: Understanding the true cost of your batch operations
  • Performance monitoring: Tracking completion times and success rates
  • Request patterns: Analyzing which prompts and models perform best
  • Error tracking: Identifying failed requests and common issues
  • Usage analytics: Understanding your batch processing patterns over time
With Helicone’s Manual Logger, you get all the observability benefits of real-time requests for your batch operations.

Prerequisites

Before getting started, you’ll need:

Installation

First, install the required packages:
Not using TypeScript? The logging endpoint is usable in any language via HTTP requests, and the Manual Logger is also available in Python, Go, and cURL.

Environment Setup

Create a .env file in your project root:

Complete Implementation

Here’s a complete example that demonstrates the entire batch workflow with Helicone logging:

Key Implementation Details

1. Manual Logger Configuration

The HeliconeManualLogger is configured with your API key and the logging endpoint:

2. Batch Request Processing

The workflow follows OpenAI’s standard batch process:
  1. Create batch file: Format requests as JSONL
  2. Upload file: Send to OpenAI’s file storage
  3. Create batch: Submit for processing
  4. Wait for completion: Poll until finished
  5. Retrieve results: Download and process outputs

3. Helicone Logging Strategy

Each batch result is logged individually to Helicone with:
  • Original request data: Preserves the initial request structure
  • Batch response data: Includes the actual LLM response
  • Custom metadata: Adds batch-specific tracking properties

4. Model Name Modification

The example modifies model names to distinguish batch requests:
This helps you filter and analyze batch vs. real-time requests in Helicone’s dashboard.

Advanced Features

Custom Properties for Analytics

Add custom properties to track additional metadata:

Error Handling and Retry Logic

Implement robust error handling for production use:

Batch Status Tracking

Track the entire batch lifecycle in Helicone:

Monitoring and Analytics

Once logged, you can use Helicone’s dashboard to:
  • Analyze costs: Compare batch vs. real-time request costs
  • Monitor performance: Track batch completion times and success rates
  • Filter by properties: Use custom properties to segment analysis
  • Set up alerts: Get notified of batch failures or cost spikes
  • Export data: Download detailed analytics for further analysis

Best Practices

  1. Use descriptive custom_ids: Make them meaningful for debugging
  2. Add relevant properties: Include metadata that helps with analysis
  3. Handle errors gracefully: Implement retry logic for logging failures
  4. Monitor batch status: Track the entire lifecycle, not just results
  5. Clean up files: Remove temporary files after processing
  6. Validate environment: Check API keys before starting batch operations

Learn More

With this setup, you now have comprehensive observability for your OpenAI Batch API requests, enabling better cost management, performance monitoring, and request analytics at scale.