---
title: Common Mistakes
description: Avoid common pitfalls when using Neural
---

## Missing Credentials

- **Symptom**: Tests skip or raise `FileNotFoundError` for secrets files
- **Fix**:
  - Set `KALSHI_API_KEY_ID` and `KALSHI_PRIVATE_KEY_BASE64` in a `secrets/.env` and export
  - Or specify `KALSHI_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH` to a PEM file

## Using Outdated APIs

- Use `TradingClient` and its proxies: portfolio, markets, exchange
- Avoid calling non-existent convenience methods (e.g., `trader.place_order`) unless added by your app

## Running Integration Tests Without Secrets

- **Expected**: integration tests are skipped
- **To run them**:
  - `export $(grep -v '^#' secrets/.env | xargs)`
  - `pytest -q`

## Pip vs uv

- `uv` is fast and works great for project installs:
  - `uv add neural-sdk`
  - `uv add "neural-sdk[trading]"`
- `pip` works as well:
  - `pip install neural-sdk`