ModelRefs / SDK (Software Development Kit) — AI Glossary
SDK (Software Development Kit) — AI Glossary
A library providing idiomatic, language-native access to an LLM API, handling authentication, serialization, retries, and streaming.
Overview
Official SDKs: openai-python, openai-node (OpenAI); anthropic-python, @anthropic-ai/sdk (Anthropic); google-generativeai (Google). They abstract: request serialization, streaming SSE parsing, automatic retries with backoff, and type-safe response objects. Using the official SDK is preferred over raw HTTP calls for correctness and future API compatibility.
Reference details
| Topic | ecosystem |
|---|---|
| Also known as | client library, API client |
| Last reviewed | 2026-06-24 |
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Frequently asked questions
What is SDK (Software Development Kit)?
A library providing idiomatic, language-native access to an LLM API, handling authentication, serialization, retries, and streaming.
Is SDK (Software Development Kit) the same as client library?
Yes — client library, API client are common aliases for SDK (Software Development Kit).
What concepts are related to SDK (Software Development Kit)?
Closely related concepts include openai sdk, anthropic sdk, api key.