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

# Install & setup

> Install the Lasso Python SDK and create your first client.

## Prerequisites

* [Create an API key](https://hub.banditshq.com) from the Lasso dashboard
* Python 3.8 or later

## Install the SDK

```bash theme={null}
pip install lasso-ai
```

## Initialize the client

```python theme={null}
from lasso import LassoClient
import os

client = LassoClient(api_key=os.environ["LASSO_API_KEY"])
```

<Warning>
  Store your API key in an environment variable. Never hardcode it in source code.
</Warning>

## Next

<Card title="Extract data" icon="arrow-right" href="/quickstart/python/extract">
  Create a schema, upload files, and run your first extraction.
</Card>