> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.smartbills.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Installation

> Install and configure the Smartbills JavaScript/TypeScript SDK in your project.

## Installation

## Package managers

Install `@smartbills/sdk` using your preferred package manager:

```bash theme={null}
# npm
npm install @smartbills/sdk

# yarn
yarn add @smartbills/sdk

# pnpm
pnpm add @smartbills/sdk
```

## System requirements

| Requirement | Minimum version |
| ----------- | --------------- |
| Node.js     | 18.0+           |
| TypeScript  | 5.0+ (optional) |

The SDK ships with full TypeScript type definitions. No separate `@types` package is required.

## Module formats

The package supports both ESM and CommonJS. The appropriate format is resolved automatically through the `exports` field in `package.json`.

```typescript theme={null}
// ESM (recommended)
import { SmartbillsClient } from '@smartbills/sdk';

// CommonJS
const { SmartbillsClient } = require('@smartbills/sdk');
```

## Dependencies

The SDK depends on [axios](https://axios-http.com/) for HTTP requests. It is installed automatically as a production dependency.

## TypeScript configuration

For the best experience, enable `strict` mode in your `tsconfig.json`:

```json theme={null}
{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "strict": true,
    "moduleResolution": "bundler",
    "target": "ES2020",
    "module": "ES2020"
  }
}
```

## Basic setup

After installation, create a client instance and verify connectivity:

```typescript theme={null}
import { SmartbillsClient } from '@smartbills/sdk';

const client = new SmartbillsClient({
  accessToken: process.env.SMARTBILLS_API_KEY,
  businessId: Number(process.env.SMARTBILLS_BUSINESS_ID),
  locale: 'en-CA',
});

// Verify the connection
try {
  const { data } = await client.expenses.listBusiness({ limit: 1 });
  console.log('Connected to Smartbills successfully');
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Connection failed:', error);
}
```

## Environment variables

We recommend storing credentials in environment variables rather than hard-coding them:

```bash theme={null}
# .env
SMARTBILLS_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
SMARTBILLS_BUSINESS_ID=123
```

<Warning>
  Never commit API keys to source control. Use `.env` files, secret managers, or your platform's environment variable configuration.
</Warning>

## Next steps

* [Authentication](/sdks/javascript/authentication), learn about token management and multi-tenant configuration
* [Expenses](/sdks/javascript/expenses), start working with the expense service