Python API — Basics

The Arcsecond CLI can also be used as a Python module.

Setup

from arcsecond import ArcsecondAPI, ArcsecondConfig

config = ArcsecondConfig()
api = ArcsecondAPI(config)

If you are targeting a specific organisation by its subdomain, pass it:

api = ArcsecondAPI(config, subdomain="my-observatory")

On a self-hosted Arcsecond.local install, the subdomain is always "local":

api = ArcsecondAPI(config, subdomain="local")

Authentication

Authentication with the Python module currently relies on your Arcsecond keys.

Reuse CLI credentials

Login once from the command line:

arcsecond login

This stores your credentials locally in ~/.config/arcsecond/config.ini, which ArcsecondConfig() will load automatically.

To skip prompts:

arcsecond login --username <username> --type access --key <access-key>

or:

arcsecond login --username <username> --type upload --key <upload-key>

Once that is done, Python code can reuse the stored configuration:

from arcsecond import ArcsecondAPI, ArcsecondConfig

config = ArcsecondConfig()
api = ArcsecondAPI(config)

Authenticate in Python code

You can also authenticate directly in Python code:

from arcsecond import ArcsecondAPI, ArcsecondConfig

config = ArcsecondConfig()
api = ArcsecondAPI(config)

status, error = api.login(
    username="my-username",
    access_key="my-access-key",
)

if error:
    raise error

For upload-only workflows, use an Upload Key instead:

status, error = api.login(
    username="my-username",
    upload_key="my-upload-key",
)

Important: Access Keys are powerful and are not scoped. Use them only in trusted backend or local automation contexts, never in browser-side code.

For Python scripts that only need to upload data, prefer an Upload Key. For broader resource management, use an Access Key.

Next Step

Once authenticated, move to Resources for the generic CRUD helpers, target planning utilities, and target list management helpers.