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How to install anthropic python library

Q: How to install anthropic python library

Install the anthropic Python library using pip install anthropic. This library enables easy integration with Anthropic's Claude models via Python code.

Quick answer

Install the anthropic Python library using pip install anthropic. This library enables easy integration with Anthropic's Claude models via Python code.

PREREQUISITES

Python 3.8+
pip package manager
Anthropic API key

Setup

Install the official anthropic Python package using pip. Ensure you have Python 3.8 or higher installed. Set your Anthropic API key as an environment variable for secure authentication.

bash

pip install anthropic

Step by step

Use the following Python code to create an Anthropic client and send a simple prompt to the Claude model. This example demonstrates the happy path for calling the API.

python

import os
import anthropic

client = anthropic.Anthropic(api_key=os.environ["ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"])

response = client.messages.create(
    model="claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022",
    max_tokens=100,
    system="You are a helpful assistant.",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello, how do I install the Anthropic Python library?"}]
)

print(response.content[0].text)

output

Hello! You can install the Anthropic Python library by running `pip install anthropic` in your terminal.

Common variations

You can use different Claude models by changing the model parameter. The library also supports asynchronous calls and streaming responses for real-time applications.

python

import asyncio
import os
import anthropic

async def main():
    client = anthropic.Anthropic(api_key=os.environ["ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"])
    response = await client.messages.acreate(
        model="claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022",
        max_tokens=100,
        system="You are a helpful assistant.",
        messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Async example for Anthropic install."}]
    )
    print(response.content[0].text)

asyncio.run(main())

output

Hello! You can install the Anthropic Python library by running `pip install anthropic` in your terminal.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter an ImportError, verify that the anthropic package is installed in your active Python environment. If you get authentication errors, ensure your ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable is set correctly.

✅

Key Takeaways

Use pip install anthropic to install the official Anthropic Python SDK.
Set your API key securely in the ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable before running code.
The SDK supports synchronous and asynchronous calls to Claude models.
Verify your Python environment if you encounter import or authentication errors.

Verified 2026-04 · claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022

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