Portabyte Python SDK

Upload, deliver, and manage files from a Python server with portabyte.

Requirements

• Python 3.9 or later
• A Portabyte project API key (pbt_sk_live_...)

Keep the key on your server. This package is not for browser code.

Install

pip install portabyte

Quick start

Create a project API key, then place a PDF named summary.pdf beside your script:

export PORTABYTE_API_KEY="pbt_sk_live_your_key_here"

Save this as quickstart.py:

import os
from portabyte import Portabyte

with Portabyte(os.environ["PORTABYTE_API_KEY"]) as portabyte:
    asset = portabyte.files.upload("summary.pdf", visibility="public")
    print(asset["id"], asset["publicUrl"])

Run python quickstart.py. The SDK creates an upload session, sends the file to its signed upload URL, and confirms it. The API endpoint is built in; you only provide the project key.

Async applications

Use AsyncPortabyte in an asyncio-based server. It offers the same files operations and closes its connection pool when the async with block ends:

import os
from portabyte import AsyncPortabyte


async def upload_summary():
    async with AsyncPortabyte(os.environ["PORTABYTE_API_KEY"]) as portabyte:
        return await portabyte.files.upload("summary.pdf", visibility="public")

For an interrupted multipart upload, call await portabyte.files.resume(session, path, state=saved_state, on_state_change=save_state). The callback may be a regular function or an async function; the SDK waits for it before uploading the next part.

Common tasks

with Portabyte(os.environ["PORTABYTE_API_KEY"]) as portabyte:
    asset = portabyte.files.get(asset_id)
    delivery = portabyte.files.url(asset_id)
    page = portabyte.files.list(limit=20)
    next_page = (
        portabyte.files.list(cursor=page["cursor"], limit=20)
        if page.get("cursor")
        else None
    )
    portabyte.files.remove(asset_id)

Public files have stable delivery URLs. Private files receive short-lived signed URLs; request a fresh one when needed. Set path during upload to replace the current file at an application-owned path.

Large files use multipart upload automatically. To recover from an interrupted upload, persist the session returned by files.create() and the state passed to the callback:

from pathlib import Path

file = Path("video.mp4")
with Portabyte(os.environ["PORTABYTE_API_KEY"]) as portabyte:
    session = portabyte.files.create(file.name, "video/mp4", file.stat().st_size)
    # Save session somewhere durable before starting the transfer.
    asset = portabyte.files.resume(
        session,
        file,
        state=saved_state,
        on_state_change=lambda state: save_upload_state(state),
    )

If you need a direct browser upload, call files.prepare_browser_upload(...) on your server, send that result to the browser, then call files.confirm(asset_id) from your server after the upload succeeds. Never send the API key to the browser. See Browser uploads.

To abandon a multipart upload, call files.cancel(session, state=saved_state). The SDK attempts to abort the transfer and removes the pending asset even if its signed URL has expired.

Response shapes such as Asset, CreateSession, and ListAssetsResult are exported as type hints. Runtime responses remain plain dictionaries so newly added API fields remain accessible.

Errors

Failed requests raise PortabyteError:

from portabyte import PortabyteError

try:
    asset = portabyte.files.get(asset_id)
except PortabyteError as error:
    print(error.status, error.code, error.request_id)
    raise

The error exposes status, code, and request_id when the API supplies them.

Client options

Both Portabyte and AsyncPortabyte accept these options. The SDK retries reads and byte transfers on network failures, 429, and 5xx. It does not retry state-changing API requests.

When to use this SDK

Use it on a trusted server to upload and manage files, prepare direct browser uploads, and request delivery URLs. A browser can send file bytes to a signed upload URL prepared by your server; it must never receive your project API key.

Documentation

• REST API reference
• Public and private files
• Changelog

Development

uv run --with pytest pytest
uv run --with mypy mypy src/portabyte --ignore-missing-imports
uv run --with ruff==0.16.10 ruff format src tests README.md
uv run --with ruff==0.16.10 ruff format --check src tests README.md
uv build

Tests use a mock HTTP transport and do not require an API key.

Report SDK bugs in GitHub issues.

License

MIT