---
title: "Introduction"
description: "Introduction — Python BabelQueue SDK (1.x)."
source: https://babelqueue.com/docs/babelqueue-python/1.x/introduction/
updated: 2026-06-06T00:00:00.000Z
---

# Introduction

The **Python** SDK implements the BabelQueue standard so your Python services
produce and consume the exact same strict JSON envelope as every other language
in the ecosystem — no PHP `serialize()`, no language lock-in.

Python is the natural **AI/ML & data** consumer in a BabelQueue topology: let a
Laravel app publish `urn:babel:orders:created`, and a Python worker picks it up to
run scoring, enrichment or an ML pipeline — reading the same canonical envelope.

The package ships two layers: the **zero-dependency core** (the `EnvelopeCodec`,
contracts and dead-letter helpers) and a small **`BabelQueue` runtime** that
publishes and consumes over a broker for end-to-end apps.

## What you get

- **Canonical wire envelope (`schema_version: 1`).** `job`, `trace_id`, `data`,
  `meta` and `attempts` — byte-for-byte compatible with the other SDKs.
- **A `trace_id` on every message** for cross-service correlation across your
  data and ML pipelines.
- **URN routing** (`urn:babel:<context>:<event>`) so consumers route on a stable
  key, not a class name.
- **Pluggable transports** chosen by URL scheme: `memory://` (built in),
  `redis://` (extra `[redis]`) and `amqp://` (RabbitMQ, extra `[amqp]`).

## The envelope

```json
{
  "job": "urn:babel:orders:created",
  "trace_id": "7b3f9c2a-e41d-4f88-9b2a-1c0d5e6f7a8b",
  "data": { "order_id": 1042, "amount": 99.90 },
  "meta": { "id": "f1e2d3c4-b5a6-4789-90ab-cdef01234567", "queue": "default", "lang": "python", "schema_version": 1, "created_at": 1749132727000 },
  "attempts": 0
}
```

Continue to [Installation](/docs/babelqueue-python/1.x/installation/).