# Install the SDK
URL: https://openship.io/docs/api/sdk/installation.md

Install the preview package and use its JavaScript, TypeScript, and CLI entry points.

Requires **Node.js 22 or later**. ESM, CommonJS, and TypeScript declarations are included.

## Install the preview

The published `openship@0.7.2` package is CLI-only. To use the SDK from this checkout:

1. Build the public package from the repository root:

   ```bash
   bun install --frozen-lockfile
   bun run build:sdk
   ```

2. Create a tarball. Use the filename printed by `npm pack`:

   ```bash
   cd packages/openship
   npm pack
   ```

3. Install that tarball in your Node project:

   ```bash
   npm install /absolute/path/to/openship-0.7.2.tgz
   ```

After an SDK-enabled release is published, this becomes `npm install openship`. A local tarball and
the existing npm release can share a version number while containing different exports.

## Choose an import

| Import | Provides |
| --- | --- |
| `openship` | Native factory, remote clients, deployment helpers, public types, and errors. |
| `openship/client` | Remote clients and HTTP helpers. |
| `openship/native` | Native factory, identity types, lifecycle options, and scoped operations. |

<Tabs items={['ES modules', 'CommonJS']}>
<Tab value="ES modules">

```ts title="imports.mts"
import { createShip, OpenshipClient } from "openship";
import type { ScopedShip, ProjectOperations } from "openship";
```

</Tab>
<Tab value="CommonJS">

```js title="imports.cjs"
const { OpenshipClient } = require("openship/client");
const { createShip } = require("openship/native");
```

</Tab>
</Tabs>

Imports are passive. An import does not start the CLI, open a database, or create a worker.

## Use the CLI from the same installation

```bash
npx openship --help
```

Installing the dependency locally provides both application imports and the command through `npx` or
npm scripts. A global CLI installation does not replace your application's local dependency.

Continue with [remote setup](/docs/api/sdk/client), [native setup](/docs/api/sdk/native), or the
[runnable example](/docs/api/sdk/examples). See [compatibility](/docs/api/sdk/compatibility) for server requirements.