diff --git a/sdk/python-sdk.mdx b/sdk/python-sdk.mdx
index 73f8a709..8fb39533 100644
--- a/sdk/python-sdk.mdx
+++ b/sdk/python-sdk.mdx
@@ -15,6 +15,41 @@ The Lightdash Python SDK lets you query your semantic layer directly from Python
 pip install lightdash
 ```
 
+## Before you start
+
+To use the SDK, you need three things from your Lightdash instance:
+
+1. **`instance_url`** — the URL where you log into Lightdash (for example, `https://app.lightdash.cloud` for Lightdash Cloud, or your self-hosted URL like `https://lightdash.mycompany.com`).
+2. **`project_uuid`** — the unique ID of the project you want to query.
+3. **`access_token`** — a personal access token (PAT) used to authenticate as you.
+
+You don't need to be an admin to do any of this. You just need access to the project you want to query.
+
+### How to get your project UUID
+
+1. Log in to Lightdash and open the project you want to query.
+2. Look at the URL in your browser's address bar. It looks like this:
+
+   ```
+   https://app.lightdash.cloud/projects/3675b69e-8324-4110-bdca-059031aa8da3/home
+   ```
+3. Copy the long string between `/projects/` and the next `/`. In the example above, the project UUID is `3675b69e-8324-4110-bdca-059031aa8da3`.
+
+### How to get a personal access token
+
+1. Click your avatar (top-right corner) and go to **Settings**.
+2. In the left-hand menu, under your name, click **Personal access tokens**.
+3. Click **Generate new token**.
+4. Give it a description (for example, "Python SDK") and pick an expiration date.
+5. Click **Generate token**.
+6. **Copy the token immediately and save it somewhere safe** — you won't be able to see it again after closing the dialog. If you lose it, just generate a new one.
+
+<Tip>
+  Treat your access token like a password. Don't commit it to git or share it. For scripts, load it from an environment variable (for example, `os.environ["LIGHTDASH_TOKEN"]`) instead of pasting it directly into your code.
+</Tip>
+
+For more details, see [Personal access tokens](/references/workspace/personal-tokens).
+
 ## Quick start
 
 ```python