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The Python SDK authenticates requests using an API key sent via the X-API-Key header. You can provide the key directly or through an environment variable.

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API Key

Set PHALA_CLOUD_API_KEY in your environment and the SDK picks it up automatically: 
export PHALA_CLOUD_API_KEY="phak_your_api_key"

from phala_cloud import create_client

# No api_key argument needed
client = create_client()
me = client.get_current_user()
This is the recommended approach for production deployments and CI/CD pipelines. It keeps credentials out of your source code.

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Explicit API Key

Pass the key directly when creating the client: 
from phala_cloud import create_client

client = create_client(api_key="phak_your_api_key")
The explicit api_key parameter takes precedence over the environment variable.

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Environment Variables

VariableDescription
PHALA_CLOUD_API_KEYAPI key for authentication
PHALA_CLOUD_API_PREFIXBase URL override (defaults to https://cloud-api.phala.com/api/v1)
Both variables are read at client creation time. Changing them after the client is created has no effect. For browser-like environments, the SDK supports cookie-based authentication instead of API keys. When enabled, the X-API-Key header is not sent, and authentication relies on cookies managed by the HTTP client. 
client = create_client(use_cookie_auth=True)
Cookie-based auth is primarily for internal use. Most users should stick with API key authentication.

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Custom Headers

You can add extra headers to every request. This is useful for tracing, debugging, or passing custom metadata. 
client = create_client(
    api_key="phak_your_api_key",
    headers={"X-Request-Source": "my-automation"},
)

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Verifying Authentication

Call get_current_user() to verify your credentials are valid: 
from phala_cloud import create_client, AuthError

client = create_client()

try:
    user = client.get_current_user()
    print(f"Authenticated as {user.model_dump()}")
except AuthError as e:
    print(f"Auth failed: {e}")

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Bring Your Own HTTP Client

If you need full control over transport settings (proxies, certificates, connection pooling), pass a pre-configured httpx client: 
import httpx
from phala_cloud import create_client

http = httpx.Client(
    verify="/path/to/ca-bundle.crt",
    proxies="http://proxy.internal:8080",
)

client = create_client(api_key="phak_your_api_key", http_client=http)
When you provide your own http_client, the SDK does not close it automatically. You are responsible for calling http.close() when done.