sifaka

Installation

Requirements

• Python 3.10 or higher
• pip or uv package manager

Basic Installation

Install from PyPI

# Install with pip
pip install sifaka

# Or with uv (recommended)
uv pip install sifaka

Install from Source

For development or to get the latest features:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/sifaka-ai/sifaka
cd sifaka

# Install with uv (recommended)
uv pip install -e .

# Or with standard pip
pip install -e .

Optional Dependencies

Sifaka supports various LLM providers and features through optional dependencies:

Model Providers

Install optional dependencies for specific features:

# For Anthropic (Claude)
pip install sifaka[anthropic]

# For Google (Gemini)
pip install sifaka[gemini]

# For all providers
pip install sifaka[anthropic,gemini]

Tool Support

# For web search and tool capabilities
pip install sifaka[tools]

Development

# For development and testing (when installing from source)
uv pip install -e ".[dev]"

# Or with pip
pip install -e ".[dev]"

Setting Up API Keys

Sifaka requires API keys for LLM providers. Set them as environment variables:

# OpenAI (default)
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-openai-api-key"

# Anthropic
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your-anthropic-api-key"

# Google
export GEMINI_API_KEY="your-google-api-key"

# Groq
export GROQ_API_KEY="your-groq-api-key"

# Ollama (local LLMs - no API key required)
export OLLAMA_BASE_URL="http://localhost:11434/v1"  # Optional

Or use a .env file:

OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-api-key
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-anthropic-api-key
GEMINI_API_KEY=your-google-api-key

Verify Installation

import sifaka
print(sifaka.__version__)

# Test basic functionality (requires API key)
from sifaka import improve_sync
result = improve_sync("Hello, world!")
print(result.final_text)

Note: If you haven’t set up an API key, you’ll get a clear error message:

ModelProviderError: No LLM provider available for critic. Please set up at least one provider by configuring the appropriate API key.
Suggestion: Set up at least one API key: OPENAI_API_KEY, ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, GEMINI_API_KEY, GROQ_API_KEY, or OLLAMA_API_KEY

Using Ollama

To use Ollama for local LLM inference:

1. Install Ollama: https://ollama.ai/
2. Pull a model: ollama pull mistral
3. Use in Sifaka:

from sifaka import improve_sync, Config
from sifaka.core.config import LLMConfig

# Use local Ollama (must set both model and critic_model)
config = Config(
    llm=LLMConfig(
        provider="ollama",
        model="mistral:latest",      # Use full model name with tag
        critic_model="mistral:latest"  # Important: set this for critiques too
    )
)
result = improve_sync("Hello world", config=config)

Troubleshooting

Import Errors

If you get import errors, ensure you have the correct optional dependencies:

# Check installed packages
pip list | grep sifaka

# Reinstall with all dependencies
pip install --upgrade sifaka[all]

API Key Errors

If you get authentication errors:

1. Verify your API key is correct
2. Check environment variables are set
3. Ensure your API key has proper permissions

Python Version Issues

Sifaka requires Python 3.10+. Check your version:

python --version

Next Steps

• Follow the Quickstart Guide
• Read the Basic Usage Guide
• Explore Available Critics

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