---
title: Create API keys | Adaption
description: Create and use Adaption API keys for secure programmatic access to Adaptive Data from applications, CI, and notebooks.
---

API keys authenticate **programmatic access** to Adaptive Data—the same platform capabilities you use in the app, invoked from your code, automation, or notebooks. Treat them as credentials for production integrations, not as shareable tokens.

Store keys in a secret manager or environment variables. Do not commit them to source control.

## Create a key in the app

1. [Sign in](https://adaptionlabs.ai/app/auth) to Adaption.

2. Open [**Settings**](https://www.adaptionlabs.ai/app/settings) and the [**API keys**](https://www.adaptionlabs.ai/app/settings?tab=api_keys) section.

3. Create a key, copy it once, and store it securely. You will not be able to view it again.

## Use the key in Python

Pass the key explicitly:

```
from adaption import Adaption


client = Adaption(api_key="pt_live_...")
```

Or set **`ADAPTION_API_KEY`** and construct the client without arguments:

Terminal window

```
export ADAPTION_API_KEY="pt_live_..."
```

```
from adaption import Adaption


client = Adaption()  # reads ADAPTION_API_KEY
```

The same pattern applies to **`AsyncAdaption`** for async code.

## Next step

Continue to **[Getting started](/introduction/getting-started/index.md)** to install the SDK and run your first **ingest → adapt → download** workflow.