# Manual setup — Node (/docs/get-started/manual-node)
Add TokenPolice to a Node / TypeScript app in three steps. You'll need your
[API key and the collector URL](/docs/get-started/api-key) first.
## 1. Install [#1-install]
```bash
npm install token-police
```
Node 20 or newer; works in both ESM and CommonJS. Provider libraries are auto-instrumented —
no extra install for the common ones. Framework extras are on the
[integrations](/docs/integrations/matrix) page.
## 2. Initialize [#2-initialize]
Call `tp.init()` **once at startup, before you construct your LLM client** — and pass the
client class in `instrumentModules`:
```typescript
import * as tp from "token-police";
import OpenAI from "openai"; // default export or namespace — both work
tp.init({
apiKey: process.env.TOKENPOLICE_API_KEY, // tp_sk_...
baseUrl: "https://collect.tokenpolice.ai", // the collector — always set this
firewall: "dry_run", // watch first; flip to "enforce" later
instrumentModules: { openAI: OpenAI },
});
// Only now construct the client:
const client = new OpenAI();
```
Every call `client` makes is now checked before it runs and logged after.
**Always pass `instrumentModules`.** It's required on native ESM, on `openai` 7.x, and on
pnpm/workspace installs — and harmless everywhere else. The full key list and which import
form each one takes are in [Node & ESM](/docs/sdk/node-esm).
## 3. Attach identity (recommended) [#3-attach-identity-recommended]
To budget per user or per session, wrap your entrypoint with `tp.workflow`. It tags every
call inside with one identity:
```typescript
const runAgent = tp.workflow(
{ name: "support_agent" },
async (opts: { userId: string; paidPlan: string; sessionId: string; query: string }) => {
return client.chat.completions.create({
model: "gpt-4o-mini",
messages: [{ role: "user", content: opts.query }],
});
},
);
await runAgent({ userId: "u_123", paidPlan: "pro", sessionId: "chat_42", query });
```
`tp.workflow` reads `userId`, `paidPlan`, and `sessionId` from the **first argument when it's
an object** (snake\_case keys work too). These identities are what budgets and rules match
on. More in [Identity](/docs/concepts/identity).
## 4. Run it [#4-run-it]
Run your app and make an LLM call. Then open
[app.tokenpolice.ai](https://app.tokenpolice.ai) — the call shows up with its token counts
and cost. Only token metadata is sent; your prompts and completions never leave your process
([what's in that record](/docs/concepts/data-privacy)).
## Then finish the job [#then-finish-the-job]
The three steps above get you metering. A production integration also names its steps, wraps
its tool calls, flushes before a serverless function freezes, and handles a blocked call —
and then proves all of it works. The
[integration checklist](/docs/get-started/integration-checklist) walks through the rest in
order.
## Next steps [#next-steps]