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The Elementary Python SDK uses API key authentication to securely send data to Elementary Cloud.

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Getting Your Credentials

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Generate an Access Token

You can generate tokens directly from the Elementary UI:
  1. Go to User → Personal Tokens or Account → Account Tokens
  2. Click Generate token
  3. (Optional) Add a name/description for the token
  4. Copy the token and store it securely — it is shown only once

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Required Credentials

You’ll need the following:
  • Project ID - Your Python project identifier (this will appear in the metadata of the assets you report)
  • API Key - Your API token (generated from the steps above)
  • URL - The full SDK ingest endpoint URL: {base_url}/sdk-ingest/{env_id}/batch
The same token generation process is used for other Elementary integrations. See the MCP Setup Guide for more details.

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Configuring Authentication

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Using the Client

When initializing the ElementaryCloudClient, provide your credentials: 
from elementary_python_sdk.core.cloud.cloud_client import ElementaryCloudClient

PROJECT_ID = "my-python-project"  # Your Python project identifier (used to deduplicate and identify assets)
API_KEY = "your-api-token"
URL = "https://app.elementary-data.com/sdk-ingest/{env_id}/batch"

client = ElementaryCloudClient(PROJECT_ID, API_KEY, URL)
Note:
  • The URL parameter should be the full endpoint URL including the environment ID. Replace {env_id} with your actual environment ID.
  • PROJECT_ID is your Python project identifier (chosen by you, used to deduplicate and identify reported assets in Elementary Cloud).

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Using Environment Variables

For better security, use environment variables: 
import os
from elementary_python_sdk.core.cloud.cloud_client import ElementaryCloudClient

PROJECT_ID = os.getenv("ELEMENTARY_PROJECT_ID")
API_KEY = os.getenv("ELEMENTARY_API_KEY")
URL = os.getenv("ELEMENTARY_URL")  # Full endpoint URL: https://app.elementary-data.com/sdk-ingest/{env_id}/batch

client = ElementaryCloudClient(PROJECT_ID, API_KEY, URL)
Set the environment variables: 
export ELEMENTARY_PROJECT_ID="your-project-id"
export ELEMENTARY_API_KEY="your-api-token"
export ELEMENTARY_URL="https://app.elementary-data.com/sdk-ingest/{env_id}/batch"

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Using a Configuration File

You can also store credentials in a configuration file (not recommended for production): 
import json
from elementary_python_sdk.core.cloud.cloud_client import ElementaryCloudClient

with open("elementary_config.json") as f:
    config = json.load(f)

client = ElementaryCloudClient(
    config["project_id"],
    config["api_key"],
    config["url"]  # Full endpoint URL
)

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Security Best Practices

Never commit API tokens to version control. Always use environment variables or secrets management systems.
  1. Use environment variables - Store tokens in environment variables, not in code
  2. Use secrets management - For production, use services like AWS Secrets Manager, HashCorp Vault, or similar
  3. Rotate tokens regularly - Periodically rotate your API tokens for better security
  4. Limit token scope - Create API tokens with minimal required permissions
  5. Monitor usage - Regularly check API token usage in your Elementary Cloud account

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Troubleshooting

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401 Unauthorized

If you receive a 401 error:
  • Verify your API token is correct
  • Check that the token hasn’t been revoked
  • Ensure you’re using the correct URL

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404 Not Found

If you receive a 404 error:
  • Verify your URL is correct and includes the correct environment ID
  • Check that the environment exists in your Elementary Cloud account
  • Ensure you have access to the environment