Python DigitalOcean API Client (Community)

Common errors

• digitalocean.baseapi.TokenError: Unauthorized. Could not authenticate your request.

  cause The DigitalOcean API token provided is missing, incorrect, expired, or does not have the necessary permissions.
  fix Ensure the `DIGITALOCEAN_ACCESS_TOKEN` environment variable is correctly set with a valid, active API token. Verify the token's scopes in your DigitalOcean account settings. Generate a new token if necessary.

• AttributeError: module 'digitalocean' has no attribute 'Manager'

  cause The `Manager` class was not imported correctly, or `digitalocean` was imported in a way that doesn't expose `Manager` at the top level, or there's a typo.
  fix Use `from digitalocean import Manager` or ensure `import digitalocean` is used, and then access it as `digitalocean.Manager(...)`. Check for typos in the class name.

• digitalocean.baseapi.DataReadError: Cannot create a Droplet. The following errors occurred: Image is not available in the selected region.

  cause Attempting to create a DigitalOcean resource (e.g., Droplet, Image) with invalid or incompatible parameters, such as an image slug not available in the specified region, or an incorrect size slug.
  fix Consult the DigitalOcean API documentation or the library's methods (e.g., `manager.get_all_images()`, `manager.get_all_regions()`, `manager.get_all_sizes()`) to retrieve valid and compatible parameters before attempting resource creation.

Warnings

• gotcha This library (`python-digitalocean`) is a community-maintained client. DigitalOcean also provides an *official* Python client library called `pydo`. Ensure you are using the client that best fits your project's needs and support expectations.
  Fix: Review the GitHub repositories (koalalorenzo/python-digitalocean vs. digitalocean/pydo) and documentation to choose the appropriate client. If switching to `pydo`, consult its separate documentation and import paths.
• breaking Hardcoding DigitalOcean API tokens directly into your code is a significant security risk. Tokens provide full access to your account's resources.
  Fix: Always use environment variables (e.g., `DIGITALOCEAN_ACCESS_TOKEN`) or a secure configuration management system to store and retrieve API tokens. Ensure your tokens have the minimum necessary scopes/permissions.
• gotcha Be aware of API rate limits when making many requests. Repeatedly hitting rate limits can result in temporary blocking of your API access.
  Fix: Implement proper error handling for rate limit responses, introduce delays between API calls, or utilize caching mechanisms where appropriate.
• gotcha Some versions of `python-digitalocean` (e.g., 1.16.0-3 in Debian testing) have been reported to introduce bugs or be blocked from migration due to issues. This suggests potential instability depending on your environment or specific version.
  Fix: Always test new versions thoroughly in development environments before deploying to production. Check the project's GitHub issues for reported bugs related to your version and environment.

Install

• pip install python-digitalocean Install with pip

Imports

• Manager
  wrong:

  import digitalocean; manager = digitalocean.manager.Manager(...)

  correct:

  from digitalocean import Manager

  The common pattern is to import Manager directly or access it via the top-level 'digitalocean' package after 'import digitalocean'.
• Droplet

  from digitalocean import Droplet

• SSHKey

  from digitalocean import SSHKey

Quickstart

Initializes the DigitalOcean Manager with an API token from an environment variable and lists all active Droplets in your account. Requires a DigitalOcean API token with read access configured as DIGITALOCEAN_ACCESS_TOKEN.

import os
import digitalocean

# It's recommended to store your DigitalOcean API token as an environment variable
# export DIGITALOCEAN_ACCESS_TOKEN='YOUR_API_TOKEN'
api_token = os.environ.get('DIGITALOCEAN_ACCESS_TOKEN', '')

if not api_token:
    print("Error: DIGITALOCEAN_ACCESS_TOKEN environment variable not set.")
    print("Please set it with your DigitalOcean API token.")
else:
    try:
        manager = digitalocean.Manager(token=api_token)
        my_droplets = manager.get_all_droplets()
        if my_droplets:
            print("Your Droplets:")
            for droplet in my_droplets:
                print(f"  - {droplet.name} (ID: {droplet.id}, Region: {droplet.region['slug']}, Status: {droplet.status})")
        else:
            print("No Droplets found in your account.")
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"An error occurred: {e}")