# Create and activate a virtual environment

We are going to import Python packages to make accessing the API easier. This will keep those project packages isolated to this project. You’ll know it worked if you see `(.venv)` at the start of your terminal prompt.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Windows (PowerShell)" %}

```powershell
python -m venv .venv
.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="macOS/Linux" %}

<pre class="language-bash"><code class="lang-bash"><strong>python3 -m venv .venv
</strong>source .venv/bin/activate
</code></pre>

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
Something not working as expected? Check out [common issues & solutions](/product/api/simpler-grants-api-tutorial/common-issues-and-solutions.md).
{% endhint %}


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://wiki.simpler.grants.gov/product/api/simpler-grants-api-tutorial/lets-make-a-python-script-to-use-the-api/create-and-activate-a-virtual-environment.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.