# Python RTC Quickstart

> Use Python to connect to an Agora RTC workflow.

A Python quickstart for running a simple Agora RTC sample and validating real-time channel connectivity.

- Author: Agora
- Updated: 2026-09-01
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Categories: rtc
- Platforms: Python
- Use cases: Quickstart, Video Calling
- Capabilities: Agora RTC, Python, Channel Join, Native
- [Recipe page](https://recipes.agora.io/recipes/agora-python-rtc-quickstart)
- [Implementation repository](https://github.com/AgoraIO-Community/Agora-Python-QuickStart)
- [Source recipe](https://github.com/AgoraIO-Community/Agora-Python-QuickStart/blob/master/docs/ai/RECIPE.md)
- [Raw source Markdown](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AgoraIO-Community/Agora-Python-QuickStart/master/docs/ai/RECIPE.md)
- [All recipes](https://recipes.agora.io/llms.txt)

## Implementation guide

# Python RTC quickstart

## Overview

Use Python to run a simple Agora RTC quickstart workflow and connect to a real-time channel.

Use this recipe when you want a working reference for Python, RTC channel, quickstart, backend/native sample.

Repository: [AgoraIO-Community/Agora-Python-QuickStart](https://github.com/AgoraIO-Community/Agora-Python-QuickStart)

## Prerequisites

- An Agora account and project App ID.
- The platform toolchain required by this repository.
- A test device, simulator, browser, or runtime that supports the sample's audio/video path.
- A second RTC client or sample instance for validating remote publish and subscribe behavior.

## Configure

Create or update the project configuration with:

- `AGORA_APP_ID`

For local testing, some Agora projects allow tokenless joins when App Certificate is disabled. For production, generate RTC tokens on a trusted server and renew them before expiration.

Keep production Agora tokens server-generated and renew them before expiration.

## Run The Sample

Follow the repository README to install dependencies, configure the Agora App ID, then run the sample and join a test channel from another client to verify media flow.

## What To Check

- The app registers Agora RTC event handlers before joining a channel.
- Local media preview or local audio state appears after permissions are granted.
- Remote users are rendered or heard when they publish audio/video.
- `user-published` or native user-joined callbacks are handled for each media type the sample supports.
- Leaving the channel stops local capture and releases RTC resources.

## Production Notes

- Never ship an App Certificate or privileged token generator in a client app.
- Renew tokens from the SDK expiration callback before the current token expires.
- Use subscriber/audience roles for users who should not publish media.
- Keep UID types consistent across clients in the same channel.
- For browser-based samples, deploy over HTTPS except when testing on `localhost`; for native samples, validate camera, microphone, and audio routing permissions on target devices.

## Implementation Prompt

```text
You are working in `AgoraIO-Community/Agora-Python-QuickStart`. Add or adapt this sample so a developer can run the python rtc quickstart end to end with Agora RTC.

Goals:
- Preserve the existing sample architecture and README commands.
- Configure Agora credentials through environment variables or the platform-native configuration already used by the repo.
- Register RTC event handlers before joining the channel.
- Join a test channel, publish local media when the sample role allows it, and subscribe to remote users.
- Clean up RTC resources when leaving the channel or closing the app.
- Add production notes for token generation, renewal, and audience-only subscriber roles where applicable.

Validate by running the project-specific build or launch command from the README and testing with a second client in the same channel.
```


## Recipe prompt

You are implementing the "Python RTC Quickstart" recipe in this project.

Read the recipe markdown first:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AgoraIO-Community/Agora-Python-QuickStart/master/docs/ai/RECIPE.md

Use the source repository for cross-reference:
https://github.com/AgoraIO-Community/Agora-Python-QuickStart

Build this recipe into the user's app using the markdown as the implementation guide. Inspect related source files through the repository links when the recipe points to them. Ask before installing new dependencies.