Installing the Shen AI SDK

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With your account set up and your SDK key ready, the next step is to install the Shen AI SDK.

This guide explains the available installation methods, how to choose the right one for your project, and how to verify that everything is installed correctly. For platform-specific commands and code examples, use the links to the Developer Documentation throughout this article.

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Choose the right SDK package

Shen AI supports a range of native, cross-platform, web, and headless environments. The SDK is distributed through the standard package manager for most supported platforms, making it easy to install and manage alongside your existing project dependencies.

For example:

- Web, React Native – package manager (npm)
- Android – Maven Central
- iOS – Swift Package Manager or CocoaPods
- Flutter – pub.dev
- MAUI – NuGet

If you're using the Linux Headless SDK, you'll download the SDK package directly from the Shen AI Platform rather than through a package manager.

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Install the SDK

Once you've selected the correct SDK package, follow the installation instructions for your platform in our documentation.

Although the exact commands differ between platforms, the overall process is similar:

1. Install the SDK using your platform's recommended package manager (or download the Linux Headless package from the Shen AI Platform).
2. Add the SDK to your project.
3. Import or reference the SDK in your application.
4. Prepare your project for SDK initialization.

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Our documentation provides step-by-step instructions and code examples for every supported platform:

- iOS SDK
- Android SDK
- Web SDK
- Flutter SDK
- React Native SDK
- Capacitor SDK
- MAUI SDK
- Linux (Headless, C)
- Linux (Headless, Python)

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How to check that the installation worked

Installing the SDK is only the first step. To confirm that everything has been set up correctly, initialize the SDK using your SDK key.

If the SDK initializes successfully without returning an error, the installation was successful and you're ready to continue with the configuration process.

If initialization fails, the most common causes are:

- using an invalid or inactive SDK key,
- installing the wrong SDK package for your platform,
- missing project dependencies,
- development environment that doesn't meet the system requirements.

Checking these items first resolves most installation issues.

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Need help?

If you run into problems during installation, refer to the platform-specific installation guides in the documentation (as listed above).

For web applications, you can also review the Web SDK Troubleshooting, which covers common browser configuration and deployment issues.

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Next step

With the SDK installed, you're ready to initialize it in your application. Continue with Initializing the Shen AI SDK, where you'll learn how to authenticate your application, configure the SDK, and prepare it to run your first measurement.

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