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Installation

Requirements

  • Python: 3.10–3.14 (CPython)
  • Network: Outbound HTTPS (and WSS) to Werk24 API

Python 3.9 end of support

Python 3.9 is no longer supported.

Get an API key

To try Werk24 first, use the browser demo. It needs no signup and no card.

For the API you need an account and an API key:

  1. Sign up in the console. The signup takes a card. werk24.io/pricing lists the plans and their rates.
  2. Create a key on the console's Keys page.

  3. Give the key to the client, in one of two ways:

    • Run werk24 init, choose option 1 and paste the key. It is saved to a .werk24 file in the folder you run it in, and scripts started from another folder do not find it.

    • Set the environment variable W24TECHREAD_AUTH_TOKEN to the key. This is the way for a server, CI, a container or scripts run from several folders:

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      export W24TECHREAD_AUTH_TOKEN="<your-key>"

    Any license file is read before the environment variable: .werk24 or werk24_license.txt, in the current folder or your home folder.

    If the client already finds a key, from a license file or the environment variable, werk24 init says Werk24 is already initialized and does not ask. To replace a key, edit or delete that file.

For a contract (volume, dedicated terms), talk to us through werk24.io.

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# 1) Ensure a recent pip
python -m pip install --upgrade pip

# 2) Install Werk24
python -m pip install werk24

# 3) Store your API key (see "Get an API key" above)
werk24 init

# 4) Verify your setup
werk24 health-check

If the health check prints positive messages, you’re good to go.

Important

The Health Check verifies a secure WebSocket (WSS) connection to Werk24. Corporate firewalls often block WSS. If it fails:

  • Allow outbound WSS (TLS) on port 443
  • Whitelist wss://ws-api.w24.co (or your regional endpoint)

Upgrading

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python -m pip install --upgrade werk24
werk24 health-check

Troubleshooting

  • Multiple Pythons installed: Run python --version and python -m pip --version to confirm you’re using Python 3.10–3.14 and the matching pip.
  • Proxy/Firewall: If initialization fails, check outbound HTTPS and any corporate proxy settings.
  • Permission errors: Use a virtual environment or add --user to the pip command.

Next steps

  • CLI requests: Learn to send drawings from the terminal → CLI guide
  • API usage: Use the Python client in your app → Python client, or any other language → HTTP API