Python SDK and CLI for Synth Index, Managed Research, and Research Factory.
Documentation: https://docs.usesynth.ai/sdk/overview
uv add synth-aiSet SYNTH_API_KEY before using the SDK or CLI:
export SYNTH_API_KEY="sk_..."For local multi-repo development, synth-ai treats workspace resolution as a
read-only overlay. .env and Synth home config may provide defaults and
secrets; selecting a worktree must not rewrite those defaults.
Use SYNTH_WORKSPACE_MANIFEST or SYNTH_WORKSPACE_ROOT for command-scoped
worktree resolution. The resolver in synth_ai.core.utils.workspace returns
repo paths and a scoped env mapping for subprocesses without mutating .env.
Pass base_url when you need to pin a production, local, staging, or private
backend explicitly:
from synth_ai import SynthClient
client = SynthClient(base_url="http://127.0.0.1:8000")The CLI also reads SYNTH_BACKEND_URL and accepts --backend-url.
from synth_ai import SynthClient
from synth_ai.sdk.research.public import SwarmSpec
with SynthClient() as client:
swarm = client.research.swarms.create(
SwarmSpec(objective="Assess this repository and produce a concise report.")
)
for event in swarm.events():
print(event.kind, event.telemetry.sequence)
result = swarm.wait(timeout_seconds=900)
print(result.swarm_id, result.state)
resolved = swarm.configuration()
print(resolved.config_version_id, resolved.snapshot_sha256)
usage = swarm.usage()
print(usage.money.nominal_pico_usd, usage.tokens.totals.input_tokens)
evidence = swarm.evidence()
print(evidence.artifacts, evidence.work_products)create returns a durable handle immediately. events() yields typed events,
including an explicit UnknownSwarmEvent for forward-compatible server events;
wait() uses a monotonic deadline and returns the terminal typed Swarm.
configuration() returns the immutable, versioned, secret-redacted launch
snapshot bound to that swarm, so replay and audit do not depend on the
project's current mutable configuration.
usage() returns one typed cost, token, and actor-attribution projection plus
its source, record count, observation time, and terminal-state freshness. It
does not expose the legacy raw ledger-entry dictionaries.
evidence() returns the complete durable artifact and WorkProduct index with
strict counts and lifecycle freshness. Artifact and WorkProduct content reads
use the same typed transport and return bytes; they do not expose storage
authority.
The only customer entrypoint is SynthClient().research. Its stable namespaces
are projects, swarms, and factories.
Create a durable project when work needs reusable configuration:
from synth_ai import SynthClient
from synth_ai.sdk.research.public import EnvironmentKind, ProjectSpec, RuntimeKind, SwarmSpec
with SynthClient() as client:
project = client.research.projects.create(
ProjectSpec(
name="Repository assessment",
pool_id="pool_default",
runtime_kind=RuntimeKind("python"),
environment_kind=EnvironmentKind("docker"),
orchestrator_profile_id="profile_orchestrator",
default_worker_profile_id="profile_worker",
)
)
swarm = client.research.swarms.create(
SwarmSpec(objective="Produce the assessment."),
project_id=project.project_id,
)
print(swarm.wait().state)Factories provide a typed durable optimization loop with native sync/async parity:
from synth_ai import SynthClient
from synth_ai.sdk.research.public import EffortSpec, FactorySpec, ProjectId
with SynthClient() as client:
factory = client.research.factories.create(FactorySpec(name="Prompt optimizer"))
effort = client.research.factories.efforts.create(
EffortSpec(
factory_id=factory.factory_id,
project_id=ProjectId("project_existing"),
name="Improve the system prompt",
)
)
print(effort.effort_id, effort.state)Limits, economics, secrets, Tag, rich evidence projections, and administrative
resource APIs remain available under client.research.advanced while their
contracts are stabilized. Advanced APIs are not covered by the stable surface
guarantee.
CLI discovery:
synth-ai research --helpProject creation also accepts the backend-owned ProjectSpec.policy mapping.
For example, a server-enabled fresh project can request
policy={"host_resource_custody_mode": "horizons_docker_sessions_only"}.
The backend validates this restricted mode and owns its immutable resource
binding; SDK serialization does not grant additional authority.
The optional synth-ai[pools] extra exposes the canonical synth-containers
client through AsyncSynthClient.pools. It uses the same configured backend
credential and keeps hosted admission, resource ownership, and recovery in the
backend. The enclosing async client closes the pool transport.
from synth_ai import AsyncSynthClient
async def inspect_lease(lease_id: str, task_id: str):
async with AsyncSynthClient() as client:
return await client.pools.get_lease_interactive(lease_id, task_id=task_id)For explicit lifetime management, from synth_ai.pools import PoolClient
re-exports the same implementation. Research-only installations do not import
this optional dependency. Development candidates must install the exact pinned
containers wheel; an unpublished candidate extra is not a release claim.
synth-ai --help
synth-ai research --helpUse SynthClient as the front door:
| Surface | Client namespace | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Index | client.index |
Authenticated, funded FAST/DEEP Search and Contribution lifecycle. |
| Research / Factory | client.research |
Typed hosted projects, swarms, Factory lifecycles, and Efforts. |
| CLI / MCP | synth-ai, synth-ai-index-mcp |
Terminal commands and an Index-only coding-agent server. |
Index is an API/MCP product, not a browser search page. Anonymous public
catalog and known-ID Contribution reads use PublicIndexClient; even a
public-scope Search requires an API key, an authorized organization, and
funding. An Index-only MCP server starts read-only, advertising public browse
without a key and Search only when a key is configured. Contribution writes
require a separate explicit opt-in and grant.
from uuid import uuid4
from synth_ai import SynthClient
from synth_ai.sdk.index import SearchBillingConstraints
request_key = str(uuid4()) # Persist this before sending; reuse it on uncertain retry.
with SynthClient() as synth: # Reads SYNTH_API_KEY.
result = synth.index.search(
query="What evidence supports the retrieval design?",
mode="fast",
billing=SearchBillingConstraints(allow_wallet=True, max_charge_cents=5),
idempotency_key=request_key,
)
print(result.response, result.usage)FAST's five-cent ceiling is explicit wallet consent, not a claim that DEEP has the same price. See the Index SDK guide for DEEP's durable Search ID, reconnect/cancel, private collections, receipts, and coding-agent MCP setup. These calls require a deployed Index API; installing the SDK alone does not make a Search available.
Use Managed Research when you want hosted research workers, repo runs, evidence, checkpoints, MCP, or final reports.
Standalone SMR and Managed Factory draw from the same org-level allowance and flex-credit wallet. Free, Standard ($20/month), and Max ($200/month) expose premium and value usage windows with reset times, then use explicit flex credits after included usage is exhausted. Premium models consume allowance faster; value models stretch the same allowance further. Promo, make-good, banked, and override grants are manual audit events rather than automatic resets.
The canonical backend surfaces are GET /smr/billing/catalog,
GET /smr/billing/plan, GET /smr/billing/runs/{run_id}/drawdown, and
GET /smr/billing/factory-efforts/{factory_effort_id}/drawdown. In the Python
SDK, use client.research.advanced.economics for authoritative billing reads
while the economics contract remains advanced. Do not infer
allowance from legacy Autumn balances or local spend summaries, and do not
recompute discounts in the client.
Use uv run for Python tools:
uv sync --group dev
uv run ruff format --check .
uv run ruff check .
uv run ty check
make docs-gen # generate Mintlify SDK reference into docs/
make docs-dev # preview at http://localhost:3000/overviewOptional: install Lefthook and run
lefthook install to run formatting, linting, and type checks on staged Python
files.
SMR Handoff X thread — hand agent tasks to Managed Research from Cursor, Codex, or Claude Code (repo).