This guide will walk you through installing the official Python SDK and running your first scan. In just a few minutes, you’ll be able to run your first scan directly from your Python application. Before you start, ensure you have the following:

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Get Started

1

Installation

First, install the official copyleaks package from PyPI into your project using pip:
pip install copyleaks
2

Quick Example: Scan Text

Remember to replace the placeholder YOUR_EMAIL_ADDRESS and YOUR_API_KEY with your actual credentials.
scan_text.py
import base64
from copyleaks.copyleaks import Copyleaks
from copyleaks.exceptions.command_error import CommandError
from copyleaks.models.submit.document import FileDocument
from copyleaks.models.submit.properties.scan_properties import ScanProperties

# --- Your Credentials ---
EMAIL_ADDRESS = 'YOUR_EMAIL_ADDRESS'
KEY = 'YOUR_API_KEY'
# --------------------

# Log in to the Copyleaks API
try:
    auth_token = Copyleaks.login(EMAIL_ADDRESS, KEY)
    print(" Logged in successfully!")
except CommandError as ce:
    print(f" Login failed: {ce}")
    exit()

# Prepare your content for scanning
# You can scan a URL, a local file, or raw text.
# This example scans a simple string of text.
print("Submitting text for scanning...")
text_to_scan = "Hello world, this is a test."
base64_content = base64.b64encode(text_to_scan.encode()).decode()

# Configure the scan
# A unique scan ID for this submission
scan_id = "my-first-scan" 
scan_properties = ScanProperties("https://your-server.com/webhook/{STATUS}")
scan_properties.set_sandbox(True) # Turn on sandbox mode for testing

file_submission = FileDocument(base64_content, "test.txt")
file_submission.set_properties(scan_properties)

# Submit the scan to Copyleaks
Copyleaks.submit_file(auth_token, scan_id, file_submission)
print(f" Scan submitted successfully! Scan ID: {scan_id}")
print("You will be notified via your webhook when the scan is complete.")
3

Understanding the Code

The example code performs four main actions to submit a scan:
  1. Login: It authenticates with your email and API key to get a secure login token from the Copyleaks server. This token is required for all subsequent requests.
  2. Prepare Content: It takes a simple string of text and encodes it into Base64 format. The SDK requires content to be in this format for submission.
  3. Configure Scan: It creates a ScanProperties object to define the scan’s behavior. We enable sandbox mode for safe testing without using credits and provide a webhook URL.
  4. Submit for Scanning: It sends the prepared content and its configuration to the Copyleaks API. The process is asynchronous, meaning you don’t have to wait for the results. Instead, Copyleaks will notify your webhook URL once the scan is complete.

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Next Steps

GitHub Repository

Check the official Copyleaks Python SDK repository on GitHub for installation and usage details.

PyPi Package

Install the official Copyleaks Python package from PyPI for easy integration.

Check for Plagiarism

Detect plagiarism in text documents using the Copyleaks API. Search billions of sources to find unoriginal content.

Detect AI-Generated Content

Detect AI-generated text via sync or async API calls. This guide covers sync detection, see the Authenticity API Guide for async.

Assess Grammar and Writing Quality

Get writing and grammar suggestions via API. Authenticate, submit text, and access full details in the docs.

Moderate Text

Scan and moderate text content for unsafe or policy-relevant material across 10+ categories.