openai-assistants

# OpenAI Assistants API v2

**Status**: Production Ready (⚠️ Deprecated - Sunset August 26, 2026)
**Package**: openai@6.16.0
**Last Updated**: 2026-01-21
**v1 Deprecated**: December 18, 2024
**v2 Sunset**: August 26, 2026 (migrate to Responses API)

---

## ⚠️ Deprecation Notice

**OpenAI is deprecating Assistants API in favor of [Responses API](../openai-responses/SKILL.md).**

**Timeline**: v1 deprecated Dec 18, 2024 | v2 sunset August 26, 2026

**Use this skill if**: Maintaining legacy apps or migrating existing code (12-18 month window)
**Don't use if**: Starting new projects (use `openai-responses` skill instead)

**Migration**: See `references/migration-to-responses.md`

---

## Quick Start

```bash
npm install openai@6.16.0
```

```typescript
import OpenAI from 'openai';

const openai = new OpenAI({ apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY });

// 1. Create assistant
const assistant = await openai.beta.assistants.create({
  name: "Math Tutor",
  instructions: "You are a math tutor. Use code interpreter for calculations.",
  tools: [{ type: "code_interpreter" }],
  model: "gpt-5",
});

// 2. Create thread
const thread = await openai.beta.threads.create();

// 3. Add message
await openai.beta.threads.messages.create(thread.id, {
  role: "user",
  content: "Solve: 3x + 11 = 14",
});

// 4. Run assistant
const run = await openai.beta.threads.runs.create(thread.id, {
  assistant_id: assistant.id,
});

// 5. Poll for completion
let status = await openai.beta.threads.runs.retrieve(thread.id, run.id);
while (status.status !== 'completed') {
  await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 1000));
  status = await openai.beta.threads.runs.retrieve(thread.id, run.id);
}

// 6. Get response
const messages = await openai.beta.threads.messages.list(thread.id);
console.log(messages.data[0].content[0].text.value);
```

---

## Core Concepts

**Four Main Objects:**

1. **Assistants**: Configured AI with instructions (max 256k chars in v2, was 32k in v1), model, tools, metadata
2. **Threads*