---
page-title: "Steamship Documentation"
url: https://docs.steamship.com/
date: "2023-04-17 08:40:46"
---
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## Steamship[#](https://docs.steamship.com/#steamship "Permalink to this heading")

Steamship is the fastest way to add AI to your software.

Think of Steamship as both a package manager and package hosting for AI. Each [Steamship package](https://www.steamship.com/packages) runs in the cloud on a managed stack.

## Steamship in 30 seconds[#](https://docs.steamship.com/#steamship-in-30-seconds "Permalink to this heading")

-   [Use Plugins](https://docs.steamship.com/plugins/using/index.html#using-plugins) for common operations like generating text with GPT, converting a CSV to text, or generating an image from text. Steamship manages asynchronicity and retries.
    
-   [Store data in Files, Blocks, and Tags](https://docs.steamship.com/data/index.html#data-model). This allows you to [query](https://docs.steamship.com/data/queries/index.html#queries) or [search](https://docs.steamship.com/embedding-search/index.html#embedding-search-index) it later.
    
-   [Deploy as a Package](https://docs.steamship.com/packages/developing/index.html#developing-packages), creating a scalable API for your front end.
    
-   [Create as many instances of the Package](https://docs.steamship.com/packages/developing/index.html#creating-package-instances) as you want, each with its own data.
    

The best way to start is to make a simple package:

## Start from a template[#](https://docs.steamship.com/#start-from-a-template "Permalink to this heading")

Clone one of our starter packages ([https://github.com/steamship-packages](https://github.com/steamship-packages)):

git clone https://github.com/steamship-packages/empty-package.git

Create a virtual environment and install dependencies:

python3 \-m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

pip install \-r requirements.txt
pip install \-r requirements.dev.txt

and start editing `src/api.py`.

## Start from scratch[#](https://docs.steamship.com/#start-from-scratch "Permalink to this heading")

First, install our SDK and CLI (ideally in a virtual environment):

python3 \-m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

pip install steamship

Now copy this into `api.py`:

from steamship.invocable import post, PackageService

class MyPackage(PackageService):

    @post("hello\_world")
    def hello\_world(self, name: str \= None) \-> str:
        return f"Hello, {name}"

## Next Steps[#](https://docs.steamship.com/#next-steps "Permalink to this heading")

**Using Packages**

Use full-stack language AI packages in your own code.

**Developing Packages**

Build and deploy packages with our low-code framework.

**Package Cookbook**

Package examples for common scenarios.

## Contents[#](https://docs.steamship.com/#contents "Permalink to this heading")

-   [Configuration](https://docs.steamship.com/configuration/index.html)
    -   [Authentication](https://docs.steamship.com/configuration/authentication.html)
        -   [Steamship Configuration File](https://docs.steamship.com/configuration/authentication.html#steamship-configuration-file)
        -   [Using Multiple Profiles](https://docs.steamship.com/configuration/authentication.html#using-multiple-profiles)
        -   [Environment Variables](https://docs.steamship.com/configuration/authentication.html#environment-variables)
    -   [Client Libraries](https://docs.steamship.com/configuration/clients.html)
        -   [Python Client](https://docs.steamship.com/configuration/clients.html#python-client)
        -   [Typescript Client](https://docs.steamship.com/configuration/clients.html#typescript-client)
    -   [CLI](https://docs.steamship.com/configuration/cli.html)
    -   [HTTP API](https://docs.steamship.com/configuration/http.html)
        -   [Requests](https://docs.steamship.com/configuration/http.html#requests)
            -   [Optional Headers](https://docs.steamship.com/configuration/http.html#optional-headers)
            -   [Engine Response Format](https://docs.steamship.com/configuration/http.html#engine-response-format)
        -   [Creating a Package Instance](https://docs.steamship.com/configuration/http.html#creating-a-package-instance)
        -   [Invoking a Package Method](https://docs.steamship.com/configuration/http.html#invoking-a-package-method)
-   [Packages](https://docs.steamship.com/packages/index.html)
    -   [Packages Table of Contents](https://docs.steamship.com/packages/index.html#packages-table-of-contents)
        -   [Using Packages](https://docs.steamship.com/packages/using.html)
            -   [Package FAQ](https://docs.steamship.com/packages/using.html#package-faq)
        -   [Developing Packages](https://docs.steamship.com/packages/developing/index.html)
            -   [Customizing your Package](https://docs.steamship.com/packages/developing/index.html#customizing-your-package)
        -   [Package Project Structure](https://docs.steamship.com/packages/developing/project-structure.html)
        -   [Package Cookbook](https://docs.steamship.com/packages/cookbook/index.html)
            -   [Working with Language](https://docs.steamship.com/packages/cookbook/index.html#working-with-language)
            -   [Building Packages](https://docs.steamship.com/packages/cookbook/index.html#building-packages)
            -   [Response Types](https://docs.steamship.com/packages/cookbook/index.html#response-types)
-   [Plugins](https://docs.steamship.com/plugins/index.html)
    -   [File Importers](https://docs.steamship.com/plugins/index.html#file-importers)
    -   [Blockifiers](https://docs.steamship.com/plugins/index.html#blockifiers)
    -   [Taggers](https://docs.steamship.com/plugins/index.html#taggers)
    -   [Generators](https://docs.steamship.com/plugins/index.html#generators)
    -   [Embedders](https://docs.steamship.com/plugins/index.html#embedders)
-   [Data](https://docs.steamship.com/data/index.html)
    -   [Workspaces](https://docs.steamship.com/data/workspaces.html)
        -   [Creating Workspaces](https://docs.steamship.com/data/workspaces.html#creating-workspaces)
    -   [Files](https://docs.steamship.com/data/files.html)
        -   [Creating Files Directly](https://docs.steamship.com/data/files.html#creating-files-directly)
    -   [Blocks](https://docs.steamship.com/data/blocks.html)
        -   [Creating Blocks](https://docs.steamship.com/data/blocks.html#id2)
    -   [Tags](https://docs.steamship.com/data/tags.html)
        -   [Ways to use Tags](https://docs.steamship.com/data/tags.html#ways-to-use-tags)
        -   [Tag Schemas](https://docs.steamship.com/data/tags.html#tag-schemas)
        -   [Block and File Tags](https://docs.steamship.com/data/tags.html#block-and-file-tags)
    -   [Querying Data](https://docs.steamship.com/data/queries/index.html)
        -   [Usage](https://docs.steamship.com/data/queries/index.html#usage)
        -   [Language Description](https://docs.steamship.com/data/queries/index.html#language-description)
            -   [Unary Predicates](https://docs.steamship.com/data/queries/index.html#unary-predicates)
            -   [Binary Predicates](https://docs.steamship.com/data/queries/index.html#binary-predicates)
            -   [Binary Relations](https://docs.steamship.com/data/queries/index.html#binary-relations)
            -   [Conjunctions](https://docs.steamship.com/data/queries/index.html#conjunctions)
            -   [Special Predicates](https://docs.steamship.com/data/queries/index.html#special-predicates)
-   [Embedding Search Index](https://docs.steamship.com/embedding-search/index.html)
-   [Inserting Data](https://docs.steamship.com/embedding-search/index.html#inserting-data)
-   [Querying Data](https://docs.steamship.com/embedding-search/index.html#querying-data)
-   [Developer Reference](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/index.html)
    -   [Cloning a Starter Project](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/project-creation.html)
    -   [The Steamship Manifest file](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/steamship-manifest.html)
        -   [Plugin Configuration](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/steamship-manifest.html#plugin-configuration)
        -   [Steamship Registry](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/steamship-manifest.html#steamship-registry)
    -   [Python Environment Setup](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/environment-setup.html)
    -   [Accepting Configuration](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/configuration.html)
        -   [Defining and Accepting configuration in your code](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/configuration.html#defining-and-accepting-configuration-in-your-code)
    -   [Storing Secrets](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/storing-secrets.html)
    -   [Writing Tests](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/testing.html)
        -   [Logging](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/testing.html#logging)
        -   [Throwing Errors](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/testing.html#throwing-errors)
        -   [Manual Testing](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/testing.html#manual-testing)
        -   [Automated testing](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/testing.html#automated-testing)
            -   [Automated testing setup](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/testing.html#automated-testing-setup)
            -   [Modifying or removing automated testing](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/testing.html#modifying-or-removing-automated-testing)
    -   [Deploying](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/deploying.html)
        -   [Deploying with the Steamship CLI](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/deploying.html#deploying-with-the-steamship-cli)
        -   [Deploying via GitHub Actions](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/deploying.html#deploying-via-github-actions)
            -   [Automated Deployment Setup](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/deploying.html#automated-deployment-setup)
            -   [Modifying or disabling automated deployments](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/deploying.html#modifying-or-disabling-automated-deployments)
        -   [Troubleshooting Deployments](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/deploying.html#troubleshooting-deployments)
            -   [The deployment fails because the version already exists](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/deploying.html#the-deployment-fails-because-the-version-already-exists)
            -   [The deployment fails because the tag does not match the manifest file](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/deploying.html#the-deployment-fails-because-the-tag-does-not-match-the-manifest-file)
            -   [The deployment fails with an authentication error](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/deploying.html#the-deployment-fails-with-an-authentication-error)
    -   [Updating your Web Listing](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/updating-web-listing.html)
        -   [Updating your Web Listing](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/updating-web-listing.html#updating-your-web-listing)
        -   [Adding taglines, demo links, and author icons](https://docs.steamship.com/developing/updating-web-listing.html#adding-taglines-demo-links-and-author-icons)
-   [Python Client Reference](https://docs.steamship.com/api/modules.html)
    -   [steamship package](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html)
        -   [Subpackages](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#subpackages)
            -   [steamship.base package](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.base.html)
            -   [steamship.cli package](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.cli.html)
            -   [steamship.client package](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.client.html)
            -   [steamship.data package](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.data.html)
            -   [steamship.experimental package](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.experimental.html)
            -   [steamship.invocable package](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.invocable.html)
            -   [steamship.plugin package](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.plugin.html)
            -   [steamship.utils package](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.utils.html)
        -   [Module contents](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#module-steamship)
            -   [`Block`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.Block)
            -   [`Configuration`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.Configuration)
            -   [`DocTag`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.DocTag)
            -   [`EmbeddingIndex`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.EmbeddingIndex)
            -   [`File`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.File)
            -   [`MimeTypes`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.MimeTypes)
            -   [`Package`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.Package)
            -   [`PackageInstance`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.PackageInstance)
            -   [`PackageVersion`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.PackageVersion)
            -   [`PluginInstance`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.PluginInstance)
            -   [`PluginVersion`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.PluginVersion)
            -   [`RuntimeEnvironments`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.RuntimeEnvironments)
            -   [`Steamship`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.Steamship)
            -   [`SteamshipError`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.SteamshipError)
            -   [`Tag`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.Tag)
            -   [`Task`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.Task)
            -   [`TaskState`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.TaskState)
            -   [`Workspace`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.Workspace)
            -   [`check_environment()`](https://docs.steamship.com/api/steamship.html#steamship.check_environment)
-   [License](https://docs.steamship.com/license.html)
-   [Authors](https://docs.steamship.com/authors.html)