> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.regpilot.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Installation

> Install and configure RegPilot in your application

## Choose Your Installation Method

RegPilot can be integrated into your application in multiple ways depending on your use case and technical stack.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="REST API" icon="plug" href="#rest-api">
    Direct HTTP requests - works with any language
  </Card>

  <Card title="SDK Integration" icon="box" href="#sdk-integration">
    Official SDKs for Node.js, Python, and more
  </Card>

  <Card title="Framework Integration" icon="layer-group" href="#framework-integration">
    Pre-built integrations for Next.js, React, etc.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Self-Hosted" icon="server" href="/guides/self-hosting">
    Deploy RegPilot on your own infrastructure
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## REST API

The simplest way to get started is using the REST API directly. No installation required!

### Prerequisites

* RegPilot account ([sign up here](https://regpilot.dev/signup))
* API key from your project dashboard

### Make Your First Request

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl -X POST https://regpilot.dev/api/ai/chat \
    -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{
      "messages": [
        {"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}
      ]
    }'
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript (Fetch) theme={null}
  const response = await fetch('https://regpilot.dev/api/ai/chat', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'X-API-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Hello!' }]
    })
  });

  const data = await response.json();
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## SDK Integration

For a more integrated experience, use our official SDKs with built-in TypeScript support.

### Node.js / TypeScript

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install the package">
    ```bash theme={null}
    npm install @regpilot/sdk
    # or
    yarn add @regpilot/sdk
    # or
    pnpm add @regpilot/sdk
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Initialize the client">
    ```typescript theme={null}
    import { RegPilot } from '@regpilot/sdk';

    const regpilot = new RegPilot({
      apiKey: process.env.REGPILOT_API_KEY,
      environment: 'production', // or 'development'
    });
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Make a request">
    ```typescript theme={null}
    const response = await regpilot.chat.create({
      messages: [
        { role: 'user', content: 'Hello from SDK!' }
      ],
      governorEnabled: true, // Enable compliance validation
    });

    console.log(response.content);
    console.log('Risk Score:', response.riskScore);
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Python

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install the package">
    ```bash theme={null}
    pip install regpilot
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Initialize the client">
    ```python theme={null}
    from regpilot import RegPilot

    client = RegPilot(
        api_key=os.environ["REGPILOT_API_KEY"],
        environment="production"
    )
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Make a request">
    ```python theme={null}
    response = client.chat.create(
        messages=[
            {"role": "user", "content": "Hello from Python SDK!"}
        ],
        governor_enabled=True
    )

    print(response.content)
    print(f"Risk Score: {response.risk_score}")
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Framework Integration

### Next.js Integration

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install dependencies">
    ```bash theme={null}
    npm install @regpilot/nextjs
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create API route">
    Create `app/api/chat/route.ts`:

    ```typescript theme={null}
    import { RegPilotHandler } from '@regpilot/nextjs';

    export const POST = RegPilotHandler({
      apiKey: process.env.REGPILOT_API_KEY!,
      governorEnabled: true,
    });
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use in your components">
    ```typescript theme={null}
    'use client';

    import { useRegPilot } from '@regpilot/nextjs/client';

    export default function Chat() {
      const { messages, sendMessage, isLoading } = useRegPilot();

      return (
        <div>
          {messages.map((msg, i) => (
            <div key={i}>{msg.content}</div>
          ))}
          <button onClick={() => sendMessage('Hello!')}>
            Send
          </button>
        </div>
      );
    }
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

### React Integration

<Steps>
  <Step title="Install dependencies">
    ```bash theme={null}
    npm install @regpilot/react
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wrap your app with provider">
    ```tsx theme={null}
    import { RegPilotProvider } from '@regpilot/react';

    function App() {
      return (
        <RegPilotProvider apiKey={process.env.REACT_APP_REGPILOT_API_KEY}>
          <YourComponents />
        </RegPilotProvider>
      );
    }
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use the hook in components">
    ```tsx theme={null}
    import { useRegPilot } from '@regpilot/react';

    function ChatComponent() {
      const { chat, isLoading, error } = useRegPilot();

      const handleSubmit = async (message: string) => {
        const response = await chat.send(message);
        console.log(response);
      };

      return (
        // Your UI
      );
    }
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Environment Variables

Set up your environment variables for secure API key management:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title=".env.local (Next.js)">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Public (client-side safe)
    NEXT_PUBLIC_REGPILOT_PROJECT_ID=your_project_id

    # Private (server-side only)
    REGPILOT_API_KEY=sk_your_api_key_here
    REGPILOT_ENVIRONMENT=production
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title=".env (Node.js)">
    ```bash theme={null}
    REGPILOT_API_KEY=sk_your_api_key_here
    REGPILOT_PROJECT_ID=your_project_id
    REGPILOT_ENVIRONMENT=production
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title=".env (Python)">
    ```bash theme={null}
    REGPILOT_API_KEY=sk_your_api_key_here
    REGPILOT_PROJECT_ID=your_project_id
    REGPILOT_ENVIRONMENT=production
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Warning>
  **Security Best Practice**: Never commit your API keys to version control. Always use environment variables and add `.env` files to your `.gitignore`.
</Warning>

## Configuration Options

Configure RegPilot to match your requirements:

```typescript theme={null}
const regpilot = new RegPilot({
  // Required
  apiKey: process.env.REGPILOT_API_KEY,
  
  // Optional
  environment: 'production', // 'production' | 'development'
  timeout: 30000, // Request timeout in milliseconds
  retries: 3, // Number of retry attempts
  baseURL: 'https://regpilot.dev/api', // Custom base URL
  
  // Governor settings
  governor: {
    enabled: true,
    strictMode: false,
    autoApproveThreshold: 50,
  },
  
  // Logging
  logging: {
    level: 'info', // 'debug' | 'info' | 'warn' | 'error'
    pretty: true, // Pretty print logs in development
  },
});
```

## Verify Installation

Test your installation with a simple health check:

<CodeGroup>
  ```typescript TypeScript theme={null}
  import { RegPilot } from '@regpilot/sdk';

  const client = new RegPilot({
    apiKey: process.env.REGPILOT_API_KEY!,
  });

  // Test connection
  const health = await client.health.check();
  console.log('✅ RegPilot is connected:', health.status);
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  from regpilot import RegPilot

  client = RegPilot(api_key=os.environ["REGPILOT_API_KEY"])

  # Test connection
  health = client.health.check()
  print(f"✅ RegPilot is connected: {health.status}")
  ```

  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl https://regpilot.dev/api/health \
    -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Authentication" icon="key" href="/authentication">
    Learn about API authentication and security
  </Card>

  <Card title="Make Your First Request" icon="paper-plane" href="/quickstart">
    Follow our quickstart guide
  </Card>

  <Card title="API Reference" icon="book" href="/api-reference/introduction">
    Explore the complete API documentation
  </Card>

  <Card title="Integration Guides" icon="puzzle" href="/guides/nextjs-integration">
    Framework-specific integration guides
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Installation fails with npm" icon="npm">
    If you encounter issues installing the SDK:

    1. Clear npm cache: `npm cache clean --force`
    2. Delete `node_modules` and `package-lock.json`
    3. Run `npm install` again
    4. Try with a different package manager (yarn or pnpm)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Module not found errors" icon="file-slash">
    Ensure you're importing from the correct package:

    ```typescript theme={null}
    // ✅ Correct
    import { RegPilot } from '@regpilot/sdk';

    // ❌ Incorrect
    import { RegPilot } from 'regpilot-sdk';
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="TypeScript type errors" icon="code">
    Make sure you have the latest type definitions:

    ```bash theme={null}
    npm install --save-dev @types/node
    ```

    And ensure your `tsconfig.json` includes:

    ```json theme={null}
    {
      "compilerOptions": {
        "esModuleInterop": true,
        "moduleResolution": "node"
      }
    }
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Note>
  **Need help?** Join our [community forum](https://github.com/regpilot/regpilot/discussions) or email [support@regpilot.com](mailto:support@regpilot.com).
</Note>