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

# Prerequisites

Before using the **PolyAI ADK**, you need a couple of local tools. If you run into any issues, contact [developers@poly-ai.com](mailto:developers@poly-ai.com).

## Local requirements

| Tool    | Version | Notes                                                                  |
| ------- | ------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **uv**  | latest  | Manages Python and virtual environments                                |
| **Git** | any     | Optional — recommended for version control of your local project files |

### Install uv

`uv` manages Python versions for you, including the version required by the ADK. Install it with:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
```

Alternatively, with Homebrew on macOS:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
brew install uv
```

See the [uv installation guide](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation/) for more options.

## API key

The ADK needs an API key to communicate with Agent Studio. How you obtain it depends on your account type:

* **Self-serve accounts** ([studio.poly.ai](https://studio.poly.ai)) — `poly start` signs you in and saves the key automatically.
* **Enterprise accounts** (regional clusters such as `us-1`, `euw-1`, `uk-1`) — `poly login --region <region>` signs you in through the browser and saves the key. Alternatively, create the key in the Agent Studio UI and export it manually. `poly start` is self-serve only.

See [Getting started](/adk/get-started/get-started#step-2-sign-in-and-set-up-your-api-key) for the full walkthrough.

<Warning>
  **API keys are workspace-scoped**

  An API key grants access to one specific Agent Studio workspace. When you run `poly init`, it lists all projects visible to that key. If you see projects that don't look like yours, you may be using a key scoped to the wrong workspace. Contact your PolyAI contact to confirm.
</Warning>

## Checklist

Before continuing, confirm:

* `uv` is installed
* You have an API key — saved by `poly start` (self-serve), saved by `poly login` (enterprise), or exported manually as `POLY_ADK_KEY`

## Next step

<CardGroup>
  <Card title="First commands" href="/adk/get-started/first-commands">
    Initialize a project, pull configuration, and push your first change.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>