# Install and authenticate

Install the `makra` package, provide an API key, and reuse one client for the lifetime of your application.

## Requirements

The Python SDK requires Python 3.9 or newer. Version 0.0.3 depends on `httpx` and supports synchronous and asynchronous clients.

Install it with `pip install makra` in the Python environment used by your application.

## Provide the API key

The SDK reads `MAKRA_API_KEY` when no key is passed to the constructor. Read the value in your process environment and fail before making a request if it is missing.

```python
import os

from makra import Makra

api_key = os.environ.get("MAKRA_API_KEY")
if not api_key:
    raise RuntimeError("MAKRA_API_KEY is required")

with Makra(api_key) as client:
    health = client.ping()
    print(health)
```

Passing a key directly takes precedence over the environment. The SDK also accepts `MAKRA_BASE_URL`, `MAKRA_TIMEOUT`, and `MAKRA_MAX_RETRIES`. Explicit constructor arguments take precedence over those values.

Do not put an API key in source code, logs, example output, URLs, or custom headers. The client sends it as `Api-Key` and prevents `default_headers` from overriding that header.

## Reuse and close the client

`Makra` owns an HTTP connection pool. Create one client per application lifetime or per well-defined worker lifetime. Use a context manager for scripts.

```python
from makra import Makra

with Makra() as client:
    gateway = client.ping()
    storage = client.ready()
    print(gateway, storage)
```

`ping()` checks whether the API gateway is reachable. `ready()` also checks the result-storage dependency. Neither call proves that a target website is reachable or extractable.

For asynchronous applications, use `AsyncMakra` and an async context manager.

```python
import asyncio

from makra import AsyncMakra


async def main() -> None:
    async with AsyncMakra() as client:
        print(await client.ready())


asyncio.run(main())
```

If no API key is available, the SDK falls back to a development placeholder. The hosted API will reject that placeholder. Treat a successful local construction as configuration parsing, not authentication proof.

Next, [run your first extraction](/markdown/makra-sdk/v0.0.3-beta/getting-started/first-extraction).