How to authenticate a Python script on Google AppEngine to use Google Firebase?

Here are the steps we took to get this working.

(1) First you need a Firebase Secret. After you have a project in Firebase, then click Settings. Then click Database and choose to create a secret.

Copy your secret. It will go into your code later.

(2) You need your firebase URL. It will have the format like this: https://.firebaseio.com Copy this too.

(3) Get a Firebase REST API for Python. We used this one: https://github.com/benletchford/python-firebase-gae Navigate to above your lib directory and run this command which will place the firebase code into your lib directory:

git clone http://github.com/benletchford/python-firebase-gae lib/firebase

(4) In your "main.py" file (or whatever you are using) add this code:

from google.appengine.ext import vendor
vendor.add('lib')

from firebase.wrapper import Firebase

FIREBASE_SECRET = 'YOUR SECRET FROM PREVIOUS STEPS'
FIREBASE_URL = 'https://[…].firebaseio.com/'

(5) Add this code to the MainHandler (assuming you are using AppEngine):

class MainHandler(webapp2.RequestHandler):
    def get(self):
        fb = Firebase(FIREBASE_URL + 'users.json', FIREBASE_SECRET)

        new_user_key = fb.post({
            "job_title": "web developer",
            "name": "john smith",
        })
        self.response.write(new_user_key)
        self.response.write('<br />')

        new_user_key = fb.post({
            "job_title": "wizard",
            "name": "harry potter",
        })
        self.response.write(new_user_key)
        self.response.write('<br />')

        fb = Firebase(FIREBASE_URL + 'users/%s.json' % (new_user_key['name'], ), FIREBASE_SECRET)
        fb.patch({
            "job_title": "super wizard",
            "foo": "bar",
        })

        fb = Firebase(FIREBASE_URL + 'users.json', FIREBASE_SECRET)
        self.response.write(fb.get())
        self.response.write('<br />')

Now when you navigate to your Firebase Realtime Database, you should see entries for Harry Potter as a user and others.