How can I start a new chat with custom chat history in the new Google Gen AI SDK? (python)

Gemini API
,
1

In the previous version, we could start a new chat using chat:
chat = model.start_chat(history=chat_history) where, we would add the history as a parameter or leave it blank.

But in the new sdk,
chat = client.chats.create(
model=MODEL_ID,
config=types.GenerateContentConfig(
system_instruction=system_instruction,
temperature=0.5,
),
)
There is no parameter for chat history.

3

Hi,

Welcome to the forum.

According to the source code on GitHub

There is an optional parameter history that you could use.

Hope this helps.

2 Likes
5

What is the type of the Content in

history: Optional[list[Content]] = None,

6

Hi @Wonder-David_Efe

It’s a pre-defined type that can have one or multiple various parts according to the documentation.
Most likely it will be messages with alternating roles - user and model - to mimic a conversation between the user’s prompts and the model’s response.

See documentation for more. Or use AI Studio with a Chat and a conversation. Then hit the “Get code” button to see how it is structured.

Cheers