Understand Python

Framework-neutral Python SDK for sending logs and exceptions to Understand.io.

This package is for Python applications. It does not run inside Laravel and it does not reimplement the browser JavaScript SDK. Where it shares configuration names with the Laravel package, that is config parity only.

Installation

Install from PyPI:

python3 -m pip install understand-python

Or add it to requirements.txt:

understand-python

Configuration

Set your Understand.io input token:

export UNDERSTAND_TOKEN="your-input-token"
export UNDERSTAND_ENV="production"

Or configure it directly in code:

from understand import UnderstandConfig

config = UnderstandConfig(
    token="your-input-token",
    environment="production",
)

Basic Usage

Send a log message:

from understand import UnderstandConfig, UnderstandLogger

logger = UnderstandLogger.from_config(
    UnderstandConfig(token="your-input-token", environment="production")
)

logger.error("Understand.io test error", context={"source": "my-app"})

Capture and send an exception:

from understand import UnderstandConfig, UnderstandLogger

logger = UnderstandLogger.from_config(
    UnderstandConfig(token="your-input-token", environment="production")
)

try:
    raise RuntimeError("Payment capture failed")
except RuntimeError as exc:
    logger.exception(exc, context={"feature": "payments"})

Stdlib Logging

Attach Understand to Python's built-in logging package:

import logging

from understand import UnderstandConfig, UnderstandLogger
from understand.integrations.logging import UnderstandLoggingHandler

understand_logger = UnderstandLogger.from_config(
    UnderstandConfig.from_env()
)

logging.getLogger().addHandler(UnderstandLoggingHandler(understand_logger))
logging.getLogger().setLevel(logging.INFO)

logging.error("This error is sent to Understand.io")

Exceptions logged with exc_info=True are sent as structured exception events:

try:
    raise ValueError("Invalid checkout amount")
except ValueError:
    logging.exception("Checkout failed")

Request Context

For web applications, attach request-like metadata before logging:

from understand import RequestContext, UnderstandConfig, UnderstandLogger

logger = UnderstandLogger.from_config(
    UnderstandConfig(token="your-input-token", environment="production")
)

logger.field_provider.set_request_context(
    RequestContext(
        path="/checkout/payments",
        method="POST",
        route_name="payments.create",
        query={"debug": "1"},
        body={"amount": 4999, "password": "hidden automatically"},
        client_ip="203.0.113.10",
        user_agent="Mozilla/5.0",
        user_id="user-123",
        session_id="session-id",
    )
)

Fields like password, password_confirmation, access_token, secret_key, token, and access_key are replaced with [value hidden] by default.

Environment variables:

• UNDERSTAND_TOKEN
• UNDERSTAND_ENABLED
• UNDERSTAND_API_URL
• UNDERSTAND_HANDLER
• UNDERSTAND_ENV
• UNDERSTAND_SQL
• UNDERSTAND_SQL_BINDINGS
• UNDERSTAND_QUERY_STRING
• UNDERSTAND_REQUEST_BODY
• UNDERSTAND_POST_DATA as a SDK config-parity alias for request body collection
• UNDERSTAND_HIDDEN_REQUEST_FIELDS
• UNDERSTAND_SSL_CA_BUNDLE

For browser JavaScript error tracking, use the separate understand-js SDK.

Long-Running Workers

For long-running workers, call reset_context() between jobs to regenerate the request token and clear collected data:

for job in jobs:
    logger.reset_context()

    try:
        process_job(job)
    except Exception as exc:
        logger.exception(exc, context={"job_id": job.id})

Local Testing Without Sending Data

Use CallbackHandler to inspect payloads without making network requests:

import json

from understand import CallbackHandler, UnderstandConfig, UnderstandLogger

events = []
logger = UnderstandLogger.from_config(
    UnderstandConfig(token="test-token", environment="local"),
    handler=CallbackHandler(lambda payload: events.append(json.loads(payload))),
)

logger.error("Local test error")

print(json.dumps(events, indent=2))