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Getting Started

Learn how to easily generate images using Python with the NovelAI SDK. This guide walks you through the process step-by-step.

1. Installation​

First, install novelai-sdk.

info

Python 3.10 or higher is required.

Open your terminal and run:

pip install novelai-sdk

If you are using uv (recommended):

uv add novelai-sdk

2. Prepare API Key​

You need a NovelAI API Key to use the features.

  1. Log in to NovelAI.
  2. Open Settings (Gear icon).
  3. Go to "Account" tab and click "Get API Key".

Create a .env file in your project directory:

NOVELAI_API_KEY=pst-your-api-key-here

Method B: Direct (For testing)​

client = NovelAI(api_key="pst-your-api-key-here")

3. Generate Your First Image​

Let's generate an image! Save the following code as generate.py.

import os
from novelai import NovelAI
from novelai.types import GenerateImageParams

# 1. Initialize Client
# No arguments needed if NOVELAI_API_KEY env var is set
client = NovelAI()

# 2. Configure Generation
params = GenerateImageParams(
    # Prompt
    prompt="1girl, cat ears, masterpiece, best quality",
    # Model (using V4)
    model="nai-diffusion-4-5-full",
    # Size
    size="portrait",
    # Steps
    steps=28,
    # Scale
    scale=5.0,
)

# 3. Generate
print("Generating image...")
images = client.image.generate(params)

# 4. Save
if images:
    filename = "output.png"
    images[0].save(filename)
    print(f"Saved to: {filename}")
else:
    print("Generation failed")

Run it:

python generate.py

Next Steps​