> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cyborg.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Python Service Quickstart

**CyborgDB** can be deployed as a Python service using pip installation. This approach provides a lightweight alternative to Docker, allowing you to run the CyborgDB service directly in your Python environment with full control over dependencies and configuration.

<Tip>Looking to use Docker? Check out our [Docker Quickstart Guide](./quickstart-docker).</Tip>

## Overview

The Python service is ideal for developers who prefer managing Python environments directly, need custom dependency management, or want to integrate CyborgDB service into existing Python applications. It provides the same REST API functionality as the Docker version.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Get an API Key">
    To use CyborgDB, you need an API key. You can get one from the [CyborgDB Admin Dashboard](https://cyborgdb.co/).

    For quick evaluation, you can generate a temporary demo key using any of the SDKs:

    <CodeGroup>
      ```python Python theme={null}
      import cyborgdb
      print(cyborgdb.get_demo_api_key())
      ```

      ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
      import { getDemoApiKey } from 'cyborgdb';
      console.log(await getDemoApiKey());
      ```

      ```go Go theme={null}
      demoKey, _ := cyborgdb.GetDemoAPIKey("my demo app")
      fmt.Println(demoKey)
      ```
    </CodeGroup>

    Then use the printed key as your `CYBORGDB_API_KEY` when starting the service, and as the `api_key` when connecting with an SDK client.

    Make sure to keep your API key secure and do not share it publicly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check Prerequisites">
    Ensure you have the required Python version and environment tools:

    * **Python**: 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, or 3.14
    * **Package Manager**: conda (recommended) or pip with virtual environment

    <Note>While conda is mentioned in the build instructions, the wheel works with any Python environment manager including pip, pipenv, poetry, etc.</Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Your Database Backend (Optional)">
    For **quick evaluation and testing**, you can skip database setup entirely - the service will automatically use a built-in **standalone** instance.

    For **production deployments** or if you have existing database infrastructure, CyborgDB service supports external database backends:

    * **PostgreSQL**: Compatible with your existing PostgreSQL infrastructure
      * Managed services: AWS RDS, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Google Cloud SQL, DigitalOcean Managed Databases
      * Self-hosted PostgreSQL instances
    * **Redis**: Compatible with your existing Redis infrastructure
      * Managed services: AWS ElastiCache, Azure Cache for Redis, Google Cloud Memorystore, Redis Cloud
      * Self-hosted Redis instances
    * **Amazon S3**: Cloud-native object storage for scalable, serverless deployments
      * Compatible with AWS S3, MinIO, Cloudflare R2, and any S3-compatible store

    All backends provide identical CyborgDB functionality. For more info, refer to [this guide](../../../intro/backing-stores).

    <Warning>**Standalone is for evaluation and testing only** - For production use, configure an external PostgreSQL, Redis, or S3 backend.</Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install CyborgDB Service">
    Install the CyborgDB service package using conda and pip:

    <CodeGroup>
      ```bash Conda Environment (Recommended) theme={null}
      # Create conda environment
      conda create -n cyborgdb-service python=3.12
      conda activate cyborgdb-service

      # Install the service
      pip install cyborgdb-service

      # If you want to use automatic embedding generation, install with:
      pip install cyborgdb-service[embeddings]
      ```

      ```bash Virtual Environment theme={null}
      # Create a virtual environment
      python -m venv cyborgdb-env
      source cyborgdb-env/bin/activate

      # Install the service
      pip install cyborgdb-service
      ```

      ```bash System Python theme={null}
      # Install directly (not recommended for production)
      pip install cyborgdb-service
      ```
    </CodeGroup>

    <Warning>Using conda or a virtual environment is strongly recommended to avoid dependency conflicts with other Python packages.</Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Environment Variables">
    Set the required environment variables for your deployment:

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Quick Start (Standalone)">
        <CodeGroup>
          ```bash Linux/macOS theme={null}
          # Minimal configuration - uses built-in standalone
          export CYBORGDB_API_KEY=cyborg_your_api_key_here
          # No database configuration needed - standalone starts automatically
          ```

          ```bash .env File theme={null}
          # Create a .env file in your working directory
          # Minimal configuration - uses built-in standalone
          CYBORGDB_API_KEY=cyborg_your_api_key_here
          # No database configuration needed - standalone starts automatically
          ```
        </CodeGroup>

        <Warning>Standalone is for evaluation and testing only. For production, use PostgreSQL, Redis, or S3.</Warning>
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="PostgreSQL Backend">
        <CodeGroup>
          ```bash Linux/macOS theme={null}
          export CYBORGDB_API_KEY=cyborg_your_api_key_here
          export CYBORGDB_DB_TYPE=postgres
          export CYBORGDB_CONNECTION_STRING="host=localhost port=5432 dbname=postgres user=postgres password=your_password"
          ```

          ```bash .env File theme={null}
          # Create a .env file in your working directory
          CYBORGDB_API_KEY=cyborg_your_api_key_here
          CYBORGDB_DB_TYPE=postgres
          CYBORGDB_CONNECTION_STRING=host=localhost port=5432 dbname=postgres user=postgres password=your_password
          ```
        </CodeGroup>
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="Redis Backend">
        <CodeGroup>
          ```bash Linux/macOS theme={null}
          export CYBORGDB_API_KEY=cyborg_your_api_key_here
          export CYBORGDB_DB_TYPE=redis
          export CYBORGDB_CONNECTION_STRING="host:localhost,port:6379,db:0"
          ```

          ```bash .env File theme={null}
          # Create a .env file in your working directory
          CYBORGDB_API_KEY=cyborg_your_api_key_here
          CYBORGDB_DB_TYPE=redis
          CYBORGDB_CONNECTION_STRING=host:localhost,port:6379,db:0
          ```
        </CodeGroup>
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="S3 Backend">
        <CodeGroup>
          ```bash Linux/macOS theme={null}
          export CYBORGDB_API_KEY=cyborg_your_api_key_here
          export CYBORGDB_DB_TYPE=s3
          export CYBORGDB_CONNECTION_STRING="s3://my-bucket?region=us-east-1"
          # Optional: set credentials if not using IAM roles
          # export AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=AKID...
          # export AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=...
          ```

          ```bash .env File theme={null}
          CYBORGDB_API_KEY=cyborg_your_api_key_here
          CYBORGDB_DB_TYPE=s3
          CYBORGDB_CONNECTION_STRING=s3://my-bucket?region=us-east-1
          # AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=AKID...
          # AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=...
          ```
        </CodeGroup>

        <Note>For MinIO or other S3-compatible stores, add `&endpoint=http://...&access_key=...&secret_key=...` to the connection string. See [Environment Variables](../advanced/env-vars#s3-connection-string) for full details.</Note>
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>

    <Tip>Using a `.env` file is the most convenient method as it persists your configuration and keeps sensitive data out of your shell history.</Tip>

    For more information on environment variables, refer to [this guide](../advanced/env-vars).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start the Service">
    Run the CyborgDB service using the installed command:

    ```bash theme={null}
    cyborgdb-service
    ```

    The service will start and display startup information including:

    * Database connection status
    * Server URL (default: `http://localhost:8000`)
    * Available API endpoints

    <Note>For additional configuration options, run `cyborgdb-service --help` to see all available command-line arguments and connection string examples.</Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify Installation">
    Once the service is running, verify it's working correctly:

    **Health Check:**

    ```bash theme={null}
    curl http://localhost:8000/v1/health
    ```

    **API Documentation:**
    Navigate to [http://localhost:8000/v1/docs](http://localhost:8000/v1/docs) to explore the interactive API documentation.

    You should see a response indicating the service is healthy and ready to accept requests.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Advanced Configuration">
    For production deployments, consider these additional configurations:

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Environment Variables">
        | Variable                     | Description                  | Required                             | Example                                              |
        | ---------------------------- | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------- |
        | `CYBORGDB_API_KEY`           | Your CyborgDB API key        | ✅                                    | `cyborg_abc123...`                                   |
        | `CYBORGDB_DB_TYPE`           | Database backend type        | ⚠️ Optional (defaults to standalone) | `standalone`, `postgres`, `redis`, `s3`, or `memory` |
        | `CYBORGDB_CONNECTION_STRING` | Database connection details  | ⚠️ Optional (defaults to standalone) | See connection formats                               |
        | `PORT`                       | Service port                 | ❌                                    | `8000`                                               |
        | `SSL_CERT_PATH`              | Path to SSL certificate file | ❌                                    | `/etc/ssl/certs/server.crt`                          |
        | `SSL_KEY_PATH`               | Path to SSL private key file | ❌                                    | `/etc/ssl/private/server.key`                        |

        <Note>If `CYBORGDB_DB_TYPE` and `CYBORGDB_CONNECTION_STRING` are not set, the service uses a built-in standalone database for evaluation. For production, configure an external database. For more information, refer to [this guide](../advanced/env-vars).</Note>
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="Production Deployment">
        For production environments, consider using a process manager:

        ```bash theme={null}
        # Using gunicorn (install separately)
        pip install gunicorn
        gunicorn cyborgdb_service.main:app --port 8000

        # Using systemd service (Linux)
        sudo systemctl enable cyborgdb-service
        sudo systemctl start cyborgdb-service
        ```
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="HTTPS Configuration">
        For production deployments, configure HTTPS by providing SSL certificates:

        **Environment Variables:**

        ```bash theme={null}
        export SSL_CERT_PATH=/path/to/certificate.crt
        export SSL_KEY_PATH=/path/to/private.key
        ```

        **Complete Production Example:**

        ```bash theme={null}
        # Set all required environment variables including SSL
        export CYBORGDB_API_KEY=cyborg_your_api_key_here
        export CYBORGDB_DB_TYPE=postgres
        export CYBORGDB_CONNECTION_STRING="host=localhost port=5432 dbname=postgres user=postgres password=your_password"
        export SSL_CERT_PATH=/etc/ssl/certs/server.crt
        export SSL_KEY_PATH=/etc/ssl/private/server.key

        # Start service (will automatically use HTTPS)
        cyborgdb-service
        ```

        **Using .env File with SSL:**

        ```bash theme={null}
        # Create a .env file with SSL configuration
        cat > .env << EOF
        CYBORGDB_API_KEY=cyborg_your_api_key_here
        CYBORGDB_DB_TYPE=postgres
        CYBORGDB_CONNECTION_STRING=host=localhost port=5432 dbname=postgres user=postgres password=your_password
        SSL_CERT_PATH=/path/to/certificate.crt
        SSL_KEY_PATH=/path/to/private.key
        EOF

        # Start service
        cyborgdb-service
        ```

        **Using Let's Encrypt (Production):**

        ```bash theme={null}
        # Install certbot (Ubuntu/Debian)
        sudo apt-get install certbot

        # Generate certificate for your domain
        sudo certbot certonly --standalone -d your-domain.com

        # Set environment variables to Let's Encrypt certificates
        export SSL_CERT_PATH=/etc/letsencrypt/live/your-domain.com/fullchain.pem
        export SSL_KEY_PATH=/etc/letsencrypt/live/your-domain.com/privkey.pem

        # Start service with HTTPS
        cyborgdb-service
        ```

        <Note>The server automatically switches to HTTPS when both certificate files are provided and exist. Without certificates, it starts in HTTP mode.</Note>
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Next Steps">
    Now that your CyborgDB service is running, you can interact with it using client SDKs:

    **Install Client SDKs:**

    <CodeGroup>
      ```bash Python icon="python" theme={null}
      pip install cyborgdb
      ```

      ```bash JavaScript icon="js" theme={null}
      npm install cyborgdb
      ```

      ```bash TypeScript icon="code" theme={null}
      npm install cyborgdb
      ```

      ```bash Go icon="golang" theme={null}
      go get github.com/cyborginc/cyborgdb-go
      ```
    </CodeGroup>

    <CardGroup cols={2}>
      <Card title="REST API Reference" href="../../rest-api/introduction" icon="rectangle-terminal">
        Learn how to use the REST API for direct integration
      </Card>

      <Card title="Python SDK Reference" href="../../python-sdk/introduction" icon="python">
        Learn how to use the Python SDK for direct integration
      </Card>

      <Card title="JS/TS SDK Reference" href="../../js-ts-sdk/introduction" icon="js">
        Learn how to use the JavaScript/TypeScript SDK for direct integration
      </Card>

      <Card title="Go SDK Reference" href="../../go-sdk/introduction" icon="golang">
        Learn how to use the Go SDK for direct integration
      </Card>
    </CardGroup>
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Accordion title="Comparison with Docker Service">
  | Aspect                    | Python Service                      | Docker Service               |
  | ------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
  | **Installation**          | `pip install`                       | `docker run`                 |
  | **Dependencies**          | Managed by pip/conda                | Bundled in container         |
  | **Resource Usage**        | Lower overhead                      | Higher overhead              |
  | **Environment Isolation** | Python virtualenv                   | Container isolation          |
  | **Deployment Complexity** | Simple Python deployment            | Container orchestration      |
  | **Configuration**         | Environment variables/files         | Environment variables        |
  | **Best For**              | Development, Python-heavy workflows | Production, cloud deployment |

  <Tip>Both approaches provide identical CyborgDB functionality. Choose based on your deployment preferences and infrastructure requirements.</Tip>
</Accordion>