---
source_url: https://www.pubnub.com/docs/sdks/python
title: Python API & SDK Docs 10.6.3
updated_at: 2026-05-20T11:08:01.409Z
sdk_name: PubNub Python SDK
sdk_version: 10.6.3
---

> Documentation Index
> For a curated overview of PubNub documentation, see: https://www.pubnub.com/docs/llms.txt
> For the full list of all documentation pages, see: https://www.pubnub.com/docs/llms-full.txt


# Python API & SDK Docs 10.6.3

PubNub Python SDK, use the latest version: 10.6.3

Install:

```bash
pip install pubnub@10.6.3
```

This guide walks you through a simple "Hello, World" application that demonstrates the core concepts of PubNub:

* Setting up a connection
* Sending messages
* Receiving messages in real-time

## Overview

This guide will help you get up and running with PubNub in your Python application. The Python SDK provides a simple interface for integrating PubNub's real-time messaging capabilities into your applications. Whether you're building a web service, desktop application, or IoT device, this guide will show you how to get started.

## Prerequisites

Before we dive in, make sure you have:

* A basic understanding of Python
* Python 3.9 or later installed
* A PubNub account (we'll help you set this up!)

## Setup

### Get your PubNub keys

First, get your PubNub keys:

* [Sign in](https://admin.pubnub.com/#/login) or [create an account](https://admin.pubnub.com/#/signup) on the PubNub Admin Portal.
* Create an app (or use an existing one).
* Find your publish and subscribe keys in the app dashboard.

When you create an app, PubNub automatically generates a keyset. You can use the same keyset for development and production, but we recommend separate keysets for each environment to improve security and management.

### Install the SDK

:::note SDK version
Always use the latest SDK version to have access to the newest features and avoid security vulnerabilities, bugs, and performance issues.
:::

There are several ways to install the PubNub Python SDK:

#### Use pip

To integrate PubNub into your project using `pip`:

```bash
pip install 'pubnub>=10.6.3'
```

#### Source code

You can also download the source code directly from the [Python SDK](https://github.com/pubnub/python/) repository.

View the [supported platforms](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/sdks/python/platform-support) for more information about compatibility.

## Steps

### Initialize PubNub

In the IDE of your choice, create a new Python script with the following content. This is the minimum configuration you need to send and receive messages with PubNub.

Make sure to replace the demo keys with your app's publish and subscribe keys from the Admin Portal.

```python
# Import required modules
from pubnub.pnconfiguration import PNConfiguration
from pubnub.pubnub import PubNub

# Set up PubNub configuration
pnconfig = PNConfiguration()
pnconfig.subscribe_key = 'demo'  # Replace with your subscribe key
pnconfig.publish_key = 'demo'    # Replace with your publish key
pnconfig.user_id = 'python-user'
pnconfig.enable_subscribe = True

# Create a PubNub instance
pubnub = PubNub(pnconfig)
```

For more information, refer to the [Configuration](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/sdks/python/api-reference/configuration) section of the SDK documentation.

### Set up event listeners

Listeners help your app react to events and messages. You can implement custom app logic to respond to each type of message or event.

The Python SDK provides a way to handle connection status changes using a listener. Add the following code to set up a status listener:

```python
from pubnub.pubnub import SubscribeListener

# Create a custom listener for status events
class StatusListener(SubscribeListener):
    def status(self, pubnub, status):
        # This method is called when the status of the connection changes
        print(f'Status: {status.category.name}')
    
    # We're not implementing the message handler here as we'll use a subscription-specific handler

# Add the listener to your PubNub instance
status_listener = StatusListener()
pubnub.add_listener(status_listener)
```

For more information, refer to the [Listeners](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/sdks/python/api-reference/configuration#event-listeners) section of the SDK documentation.

### Create a subscription

To receive messages sent to a particular channel, you need to subscribe to it. This is done by creating a subscription and activating it:

```python
# Define the channel you want to subscribe to
my_channel = 'my-channel'

# Create a subscription for the channel
subscription = pubnub.channel(my_channel).subscription()

# Set up a message handler
subscription.on_message = lambda message: print(f'Message received: {message.message}')

# Subscribe to the channel
subscription.subscribe()

print(f'Subscribed to channel: {my_channel}')
```

The SDK offers multiple ways to handle incoming messages, but using a subscription-specific handler (as shown above) is the recommended approach for most applications.

For more information, refer to the [Subscribe](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/sdks/python/api-reference/publish-and-subscribe#subscribe) section of the SDK documentation.

### Publish messages

When you publish a message to a channel, PubNub delivers that message to everyone who is subscribed to that channel.

A message can be any type of JavaScript Object Notation (JSON)-serializable data (such as objects, arrays, integers, strings) that is smaller than 32 KiB.

```python
import time
from pubnub.exceptions import PubNubException

# Wait for a moment to ensure the subscription is active
time.sleep(1)

# Create a message
message = {
    'msg': 'Hello from PubNub Python SDK!'
}

# Publish the message to the channel
try:
    envelope = pubnub.publish().channel(my_channel).message(message).sync()
    print(f'Published message with timetoken: {envelope.result.timetoken}')
except PubNubException as e:
    print(f'Publish failed: {e}')
```

The `sync()` method makes the call synchronously, meaning it will wait for the response before proceeding. For asynchronous calls, you can use `future()` or `async()` depending on your application needs.

### Run the app

To test the code, save it as `pubnub_demo.py` and run it from your terminal:

```bash
python pubnub_demo.py
```

When you run the application, you should see output similar to the following:

```text
Subscribed to channel: my-channel
Status: PNConnectedCategory
From subscription: {'msg': 'Hello from PubNub Python SDK!'}
Message received: {'msg': 'Hello from PubNub Python SDK!'}
Published message with timetoken: 16967543908123456
```

Note that you receive the message you just published because you're subscribed to the same channel.

## Complete example

Here's the complete working example that puts everything together.

```python
import time
from pubnub.pnconfiguration import PNConfiguration
from pubnub.pubnub import PubNub, SubscribeListener
from pubnub.exceptions import PubNubException

# Step 1: Initialize PubNub with configuration
pnconfig = PNConfiguration()
pnconfig.subscribe_key = 'demo'  # Replace with your subscribe key
pnconfig.publish_key = 'demo'    # Replace with your publish key
pnconfig.user_id = 'python-user'
pnconfig.ssl = True              # Enable SSL for secure connection
pnconfig.enable_subscribe = True
pnconfig.daemon = True  # If using in a long-running app

pubnub = PubNub(pnconfig)

# Step 2: Create a status listener
class StatusListener(SubscribeListener):
    def status(self, pubnub, status):
        print(f'Status: {status.category.name}')
    
    # We're only monitoring connection status, not messages

# Step 3: Add the listener
status_listener = StatusListener()
pubnub.add_listener(status_listener)

# Step 4: Define the channel and create a subscription
my_channel = 'my-channel'
subscription = pubnub.channel(my_channel).subscription()

# Step 5: Set up a message handler for the subscription
subscription.on_message = lambda message: print(f'Message received: {message.message}')

# Step 6: Subscribe to the channel
subscription.subscribe()
print(f'Subscribed to channel: {my_channel}')

# Wait for connection to establish before publishing
time.sleep(1)

# Step 7: Create and publish a message
message = {
    'msg': 'Hello from PubNub Python SDK!'
}

try:
    envelope = pubnub.publish().channel(my_channel).message(message).sync()
    print(f'Published message with timetoken: {envelope.result.timetoken}')
except PubNubException as e:
    print(f'Publish failed: {e}')

# Keep the script running to receive messages
time.sleep(3)

# Step 8: Clean up before exiting
pubnub.stop()
print('Cleanup complete.')
```

### Troubleshooting

If you don't see the expected output, here are some common issues and how to fix them:

| Issue | Possible Solutions |
| --- | --- |
| No connection message | Check your internet connection., Verify your publish and subscribe keys are correct., Make sure you're not behind a firewall blocking PubNub's connections. |
| Message not received | Double-check that you're subscribed to the correct channel., Verify that the message was actually sent (check for any error messages)., Make sure you're waiting long enough for the message to be delivered. |
| Import errors | Ensure you've installed the PubNub package correctly., Check that you're using a compatible version of Python., Make sure all imports are correct. |

For more detailed troubleshooting information, refer to the [Troubleshooting](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/sdks/python/troubleshoot) section of the SDK documentation.

## Next steps

Great job! 🎉 You've successfully created your first PubNub application with Python. Here are some exciting things you can explore next:

### Build chat

* Add [Channel Groups](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/sdks/python/api-reference/channel-groups) to organize your channels.
* Implement typing indicators and read receipts.

### Advanced features

* Try out [Presence](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/sdks/python/api-reference/presence) to track online/offline status.
* Implement [Message Persistence](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/sdks/python/api-reference/storage-and-playback) to store and retrieve messages.
* Use [Access Manager](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/sdks/python/api-reference/access-manager) to secure your channels.

### Real examples

* Explore our [GitHub repository](https://github.com/pubnub/python/) for more code samples.
* Check out our [Python SDK examples](https://github.com/pubnub/python/tree/master/examples) for practical examples.

### More help

* Check out our [SDK reference documentation](https://www.pubnub.com/docs/sdks/python/api-reference/configuration) for detailed API information.
* Join our [Discord community](https://discord.gg/pubnub) to connect with other developers.
* Visit our [support portal](https://support.pubnub.com/) for additional resources.
* Ask our AI assistant (the looking glass icon at the top of the page) for help.

## Terms in this document

* **Publish Key** - A unique identifier that allows your application to send messages to PubNub channels. It's part of your app's credentials and should be kept secure.
* **PubNub** - PubNub is a real-time messaging platform that provides APIs and SDKs for building scalable applications. It handles the complex infrastructure of real-time communication, including: Message delivery and persistence, Presence detection, Access control, Push notifications, File sharing, Serverless processing with Functions and Events & Actions, Analytics and monitoring with BizOps Workspace, AI-powered insights with Illuminate.
* **Subscribe Key** - A unique identifier that allows your application to receive messages from PubNub channels. It's part of your app's credentials and should be kept secure.