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The Edgee Python SDK provides flexible ways to instantiate a client. All methods support automatic fallback to environment variables if configuration is not fully provided.

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Overview

The Edgee class constructor accepts multiple input types:
  • None or no arguments - reads from environment variables
  • str - API key string (backward compatible)
  • EdgeeConfig - Configuration dataclass (type-safe)
  • dict - Plain dictionary (flexible)
The simplest and most secure approach is to use environment variables. The SDK automatically reads EDGEE_API_KEY (required) and optionally EDGEE_BASE_URL from your environment variables. 
from edgee import Edgee

# Reads from EDGEE_API_KEY and EDGEE_BASE_URL environment variables
edgee = Edgee()

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Method 2: String API Key (Quick Start)

For quick testing or simple scripts, pass the API key directly as a string: 
from edgee import Edgee

# API key only (uses default base URL: https://api.edgee.ai)
edgee = Edgee("your-api-key")
Note: This method uses the default base URL (https://api.edgee.ai). To use a custom base URL, use Method 3 or 4.

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Method 3: Configuration Object (Type-Safe)

For better type safety, IDE support, and code clarity, use the EdgeeConfig dataclass: 
from edgee import Edgee, EdgeeConfig

# Full configuration
edgee = Edgee(EdgeeConfig(
    api_key="your-api-key",
    base_url="https://api.edgee.ai"  # optional, defaults to https://api.edgee.ai
))

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Configuration Priority

The SDK uses the following priority order when resolving configuration:
  1. Constructor argument (if provided)
  2. Environment variable (if constructor argument is missing)
  3. Default value (for base_url only, defaults to https://api.edgee.ai)

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Complete Examples

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Example 1: Production Setup

# .env file
# EDGEE_API_KEY=prod-api-key
# EDGEE_BASE_URL=https://api.edgee.ai

from dotenv import load_dotenv
from edgee import Edgee

load_dotenv()
edgee = Edgee()  # Reads from environment

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Example 2: Multi-Environment Setup

import os
from edgee import Edgee, EdgeeConfig

ENV = os.getenv("ENVIRONMENT", "development")

if ENV == "production":
    edgee = Edgee()  # Use environment variables
elif ENV == "staging":
    edgee = Edgee(EdgeeConfig(
        api_key=os.getenv("EDGEE_API_KEY")
    ))
else:
    edgee = Edgee(EdgeeConfig(
        api_key="dev-api-key",
        base_url="https://eu.api.edgee.ai"
    ))

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Troubleshooting

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”EDGEE_API_KEY is not set” Error

Problem: The SDK can’t find your API key. Solutions:
  1. Set the environment variable: 
    export EDGEE_API_KEY="your-api-key"
  2. Pass it directly: 
    edgee = Edgee("your-api-key")
  3. Use EdgeeConfig: 
    edgee = Edgee(EdgeeConfig(api_key="your-api-key"))

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Custom Base URL Not Working

Problem: Your custom base URL isn’t being used. Check:
  1. Verify the base URL in your configuration
  2. Check if environment variable EDGEE_BASE_URL is overriding it
  3. Ensure you’re using the correct configuration method
# This will use the base_url from EdgeeConfig
edgee = Edgee(EdgeeConfig(
    api_key="key",
    base_url="https://custom.example.com"
))

# This will use EDGEE_BASE_URL env var if set, otherwise default
edgee = Edgee("key")