Z.AI Python SDK is the official Python development toolkit provided by Z.AI, offering Python developers convenient and efficient AI model integration solutions.

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Core Advantages

Simple and Easy

Pythonic API design, comprehensive documentation and examples for quick start

Complete Features

Supports Z.AI’s full range of models, including language, vision, image generation, etc.

High Performance

Async support, connection pool management, optimized network request handling

Type Safety

Complete type hints, IDE-friendly, reducing development errors

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Supported Features

  • 💬 Chat Conversations: Support for single-turn and multi-turn conversations, streaming and non-streaming responses
  • 🔧 Function Calling: Enable AI models to call your custom functions
  • 👁️ Vision Understanding: Image analysis, visual understanding
  • 🎨 Image Generation: Generate high-quality images from text descriptions
  • 🎬 Video Generation: Creative content generation from text to video
  • 🔊 Speech Processing: Speech-to-text, text-to-speech
  • 📊 Text Embedding: Text vectorization, supporting semantic search
  • 🤖 Intelligent Assistants: Build professional AI assistant applications
  • 🛡️ Content Moderation: Text and image content safety detection

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Technical Specifications

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Environment Requirements

  • Python Version: Python 3.8 or higher
  • Package Manager: pip or poetry
  • Network Requirements: HTTPS connection support
  • API Key: Valid Z.AI API key required

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Dependency Management

The SDK adopts a modular design, allowing you to selectively install functional modules as needed:
  • Core Module: Basic API calling functionality
  • Async Module: Asynchronous and concurrent processing support
  • Utility Module: Utility tools and auxiliary functions

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Quick Start

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Environment Requirements

Python Version

Python 3.8 or higher

Package Manager

poetry (recommended), uv (recommended), pip
Supports Python 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12 versions, cross-platform compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux

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Install SDK

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Install using pip

# Install latest version
pip install zai-sdk

# Or specify version
pip install zai-sdk==0.0.3

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Verify Installation

import zai
print(zai.__version__)

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Get API Key

  1. Access Z.AI Open Platform, Register or Login.
  2. Create an API Key in the API Keys management page.
  3. Copy your API Key for use.
It is recommended to set the API Key as an environment variable: export ZAI_API_KEY=your-api-key
Domestic Z.AI platform uses ZaiClient
Domestic API URL: https://api.z.ai/api/paas/v4/

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Create Client

from zai import ZaiClient
import os

# Read API Key from environment variable
client = ZaiClient(api_key=os.getenv("ZAI_API_KEY"))

# Or use directly (if environment variable is set)
client = ZaiClient()

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Basic Conversation

from zai import ZaiClient

# Initialize client
client = ZaiClient(api_key="your-api-key")

# Create chat completion
response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="glm-4.5",
    messages=[
        {"role": "user", "content": "Hello, please introduce yourself, Z.ai!"}
    ]
)
print(response.choices[0].message.content)

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Streaming Conversation

# Create streaming chat request
from zai import ZaiClient

# Initialize client
client = ZaiClient(api_key="your-api-key")

# Create chat completion
response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model='glm-4.5',
    messages=[
        {'role': 'system', 'content': 'You are an AI writer.'},
        {'role': 'user', 'content': 'Tell a story about AI.'},
    ],
    stream=True,
)

for chunk in response:
    if chunk.choices[0].delta.content:
        print(chunk.choices[0].delta.content, end='')

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Multi-turn Conversation

from zai import ZaiClient
client = ZaiClient(api_key="your-api-key")
response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="glm-4.5",  # Please fill in the model name you want to call
    messages=[
        {"role": "user", "content": "As a marketing expert, please create an attractive slogan for my product"},
        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Of course, to create an attractive slogan, please tell me some information about your product"},
        {"role": "user", "content": "Z.AI Open Platform"},
        {"role": "assistant", "content": "Ignite the future, Z.AI draws infinite possibilities, making innovation within reach!"},
        {"role": "user", "content": "Create a more precise and attractive slogan"}
    ],
)
print(response.choices[0].message.content)

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Complete Example

from zai import ZaiClient
import os

def main():
    # Initialize client
    client = ZaiClient(api_key=os.getenv("ZAI_API_KEY"))
    
    print("Welcome to Z.ai Chatbot! Type 'quit' to exit.")
    
    # Conversation history
    conversation = [
        {"role": "system", "content": "You are a friendly AI assistant"}
    ]
    
    while True:
        # Get user input
        user_input = input("You: ")
        
        if user_input.lower() == 'quit':
            break
        
        try:
            # Add user message
            conversation.append({"role": "user", "content": user_input})
            
            # Create chat request
            response = client.chat.completions.create(
                model="glm-4.5",
                messages=conversation,
                temperature=0.6,
                max_tokens=1000
            )
            
            # Get AI response
            ai_response = response.choices[0].message.content
            print(f"AI: {ai_response}")
            
            # Add AI response to conversation history
            conversation.append({"role": "assistant", "content": ai_response})
            
        except Exception as e:
            print(f"Error occurred: {e}")
    
    print("Goodbye!")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

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Error Handling

from zai import ZaiClient
import zai

def robust_chat(message):
    client = ZaiClient(api_key="your-api-key")
    
    try:
        response = client.chat.completions.create(
            model="glm-4.5",
            messages=[{"role": "user", "content": message}]
        )
        return response.choices[0].message.content
        
    except zai.core.APIStatusError as err:
        return f"API status error: {err}"
    except zai.core.APITimeoutError as err:
        return f"Request timeout: {err}"
    except Exception as err:
        return f"Other error: {err}"

# Usage example
result = robust_chat("Hello")
print(result)

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Advanced Configuration

import httpx
from zai import ZaiClient

# Custom HTTP client
httpx_client = httpx.Client(
    limits=httpx.Limits(
        max_keepalive_connections=20,
        max_connections=100
    ),
    timeout=30.0
)

# Create client with custom configuration
client = ZaiClient(
    api_key="your-api-key",
    base_url="https://api.z.ai/api/paas/v4/",
    timeout=httpx.Timeout(timeout=300.0, connect=8.0),
    max_retries=3,
    http_client=httpx_client
)

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Advanced Features

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Function Calling

Function calling allows AI models to call functions you define to get real-time information or perform specific operations.

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Defining and Using Functions

from zai import ZaiClient
import json

# Define functions
def get_weather(location, date=None):
    """Get weather information"""
    # Simulate weather API call
    return {
        "location": location,
        "date": date or "today",
        "weather": "sunny",
        "temperature": "25°C",
        "humidity": "60%"
    }

def get_stock_price(symbol):
    """Get stock price"""
    # Simulate stock API call
    return {
        "symbol": symbol,
        "price": 150.25,
        "change": "+2.5%"
    }

# Function descriptions
tools = [
    {
        "type": "function",
        "function": {
            "name": "get_weather",
            "description": "Get weather information for a specified location",
            "parameters": {
                "type": "object",
                "properties": {
                    "location": {
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Location name"
                    },
                    "date": {
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Date in YYYY-MM-DD format"
                    }
                },
                "required": ["location"]
            }
        }
    },
    {
        "type": "function",
        "function": {
            "name": "get_stock_price",
            "description": "Get current stock price",
            "parameters": {
                "type": "object",
                "properties": {
                    "symbol": {
                        "type": "string",
                        "description": "Stock symbol"
                    }
                },
                "required": ["symbol"]
            }
        }
    }
]

# Use function calling
client = ZaiClient(api_key="your-api-key")

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model='glm-4.5',
    messages=[
        {'role': 'user', 'content': 'How\'s the weather in Beijing today?'}
    ],
    tools=tools,
    tool_choice="auto"
)

# Handle function calling
if response.choices[0].message.tool_calls:
    for tool_call in response.choices[0].message.tool_calls:
        function_name = tool_call.function.name
        function_args = json.loads(tool_call.function.arguments)
        
        if function_name == "get_weather":
            result = get_weather(**function_args)
            print(f"Weather info: {result}")
        elif function_name == "get_stock_price":
            result = get_stock_price(**function_args)
            print(f"Stock info: {result}")
else:
    print(response.choices[0].message.content)

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Web Search Tool

from zai import ZaiClient

# Initialize client
client = ZaiClient(api_key="your-api-key")

# Use web search tool
response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model='glm-4.5',
    messages=[
        {'role': 'system', 'content': 'You are a helpful assistant.'},
        {'role': 'user', 'content': 'What is artificial intelligence?'},
    ],
    tools=[
        {
            'type': 'web_search',
            'web_search': {
                'search_query': 'What is artificial intelligence?',
                'search_result': True,
            },
        }
    ],
    temperature=0.5,
    max_tokens=2000,
)

print(response)

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Video Generation

from zai import ZaiClient
import time

client = ZaiClient(api_key="your-api-key")

# Submit generation task
response = client.videos.generations(
    model="cogvideox-3",  # Video generation model to use
    image_url=image_url,  # Provided image URL or Base64 encoding
    prompt="Make the scene come alive",
    quality="speed",  # Output mode: "quality" for quality priority, "speed" for speed priority
    with_audio=True,
    size="1920x1080",  # Video resolution, supports up to 4K (e.g., "3840x2160")
    fps=30,  # Frame rate, can be 30 or 60
)
print(response)

# Get generation result
time.sleep(60)  # Wait for a while to ensure video generation is complete
result = client.videos.retrieve_videos_result(id=response.id)
print(result)

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Streaming Processing

class StreamProcessor:
    def __init__(self, client):
        self.client = client
        self.full_response = ""
    
    def stream_chat(self, messages, model="glm-4.5", callback=None):
        """Streaming chat processing"""
        stream = self.client.chat.completions.create(
            model=model,
            messages=messages,
            stream=True
        )
        
        self.full_response = ""
        for chunk in stream:
            if chunk.choices[0].delta.content is not None:
                content = chunk.choices[0].delta.content
                self.full_response += content
                
                if callback:
                    callback(content, self.full_response)
                else:
                    print(content, end="", flush=True)
        
        print()  # New line
        return self.full_response

# Usage example
processor = StreamProcessor(client)

# Custom callback function
def on_token_received(token, full_text):
    # You can implement real-time processing logic here
    print(token, end="", flush=True)

response = processor.stream_chat(
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Write a Python function to calculate Fibonacci sequence"}],
    callback=on_token_received
)

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Getting Help

GitHub Repository

View source code, submit issues, contribute

API Reference

View complete API documentation

Example Projects

Browse more practical application examples

Best Practices

Learn best practices for SDK usage
This SDK is developed based on the latest API specifications from Z.AI, ensuring synchronization with platform features. It is recommended to regularly update to the latest version for the best experience.