# Install and test the SDK

> Install a compatible Kismet SDK package, connect your coding agent, and verify your application in TEST.


Use the SDK to build your own interface with typed Kismet data and guest-account
helpers. Start with one flow and a TEST installation, then verify the behavior
your application needs before connecting LIVE credentials.

## Get a compatible package

The evaluation build documented on this site is not published to npm.
[Request an SDK package](mailto:engineering@makekismet.com?subject=SDK%20access)
and retain the supplied manifest. It identifies the source commit, package version,
and SHA-256 checksum. Use the [SDK overview](https://developers.kismet.travel/sdk.md) and [OpenAPI reference](https://developers.kismet.travel/api.md)
to check supported operations; do not choose an older npm tag by its name alone.

You do not need repository access when Kismet supplies the package and manifest.
If you have repository access and need to build it yourself, use the
[source build instructions](#build-from-source) below.

Package access and API access are separate. An authorized collection administrator
or developer can [create an application and TEST key](https://developers.kismet.travel/guides/developer-access.md).
No production credential is needed for local fixture-backed UI development.

## Install in your application

Use Node.js 20 or newer for the SDK, along with your framework's requirements.
Install the supplied tarball using its actual path:

```sh
npm install "/absolute/path/to/kismet-sdk-<source-sha>.tgz"
npx kismet init
```

Replace `<source-sha>` with the full commit in the manifest. Preserve that manifest
with the installed package so another developer can reproduce the same build.
`kismet init` adds Kismet instructions and conformance configuration for your
coding agent; review the generated files alongside your application's changes.

For a remote builder such as Lovable, place the package and manifest in a private
repository the builder can access, then use a local package dependency:

```json
{
  "dependencies": {
    "@kismet-tech/sdk": "file:vendor/kismet-sdk-<source-sha>.tgz"
  }
}
```

Run `npm install` and `npx kismet init` in that application. Keep server credentials
in its secret configuration, not in the repository or builder prompt.

## Build your first flow

[Connect the Developer MCP](https://developers.kismet.travel/mcp.md) to help your coding agent discover recipes and
API contracts. A useful starting request is:

> Build a vacation-rental directory with the installed Kismet SDK. Follow the
> generated Kismet instructions. Use `@kismet-tech/sdk/server` for catalog reads,
> keep server keys out of browser code, and preserve my site's design. Use explicit
> local fixtures until TEST access is configured. Build the application and run
> its tests and Kismet conformance checks.

Choose the next capability from the [integration guides](https://developers.kismet.travel/guides.md). Use
`@kismet-tech/sdk/next` for same-origin guest-account routes and
`@kismet-tech/sdk/react` for credential-free guest browser clients.

## Test your integration

1. Run your application's build, type checks, and tests.
2. Start the application and check its actual URL:

   ```sh
   npx kismet check http://127.0.0.1:3000 --env staging
   ```

   For a static export, you can instead run `npx kismet check ./out --env staging`. Do not pass
   Next.js's `.next` directory as a static export.
3. Exercise the operations your application uses with a scoped TEST credential.
   The [first search request](https://developers.kismet.travel/guides/developer-access.md#5-smoke-natural-language-search)
   checks API access independently of your interface.
4. Verify loading, empty, denied, unavailable, and expired-session states. Check
   that real API failures do not silently fall back to local fixture data.
5. Confirm generated HTML, structured data, Markdown, and navigation agree. Follow
   [SDK recipes and implementation tests](https://developers.kismet.travel/sdk/recipes.md) for component-specific checks.

Conformance checks do not establish live inventory, complete pricing, or working
payments. Before using LIVE credentials, verify the intended collection and
integration path. [Group pricing](https://developers.kismet.travel/guides/group-stay-pricing.md) has explicit
coverage limits; Developer API booking requests remain TEST-only. Use the
[Kismet Checkout guide](https://developers.kismet.travel/guides/checkout-integration.md) for production commerce.

Before launch, pass every check in the [go-live checklist](https://developers.kismet.travel/guides/go-live-checklist.md).

## Build from source

This optional path requires access to the private SDK repository. Use Node.js
22.12 or newer and npm. From a clean checkout of the supplied commit, run:

```sh
npm ci
npm run sdk:verify
npm run sdk:package -- --source-sha "$(git rev-parse HEAD)"
```

`sdk:verify` builds, type-checks, tests, and installs the package into a clean
temporary consumer. `sdk:package` produces the installable artifact and manifest:

```text
artifacts/sdk-evaluation/<source-sha>/kismet-sdk-<source-sha>.tgz
artifacts/sdk-evaluation/<source-sha>/manifest.json
```

The manifest records `sourceSha`, `packageVersion`, `filename`, and `sha256`.
The packager refuses to overwrite an existing source directory. Use the exact
package and manifest together rather than modifying an already distributed archive.

## Get help

Send the package version and source commit, affected operation, and redacted
error or conformance output to [engineering@makekismet.com](mailto:engineering@makekismet.com).
Do not include credentials or guest data. See [platform status](https://developers.kismet.travel/guides/platform-status.md)
for supported integration paths and current limitations.