# Enabling search attributes in testing workflow environment

**URL:** <https://community.temporal.io/t/enabling-search-attributes-in-testing-workflow-environment/8535>\
**Category:** Community Support\
**Tags:** python-sdk, testing, search-attributes\
**Created:** [June 14, 2023, 6:06pm UTC](https://community.temporal.io/t/enabling-search-attributes-in-testing-workflow-environment/8535 "2023-06-14T18:06:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![Chad\_Retz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.temporal.io/chad_retz/32/1396_2.png) [@Chad\_Retz](https://community.temporal.io/u/Chad_Retz)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2023, 6:17pm UTC](https://community.temporal.io/t/enabling-search-attributes-in-testing-workflow-environment/8535/2 "2023-06-14T18:17:43Z")

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The only way is similarly kludgey - use the raw API (same as tctl uses). You can use the raw gRPC operator service call `add_search_attributes` directly. [Here](https://github.com/temporalio/sdk-python/blob/e1d983e226d055424a6c3404651079b23a44f5f0/tests/worker/test_workflow.py#L1380-L1393)’s how we do the same thing you’re wanting in our SDK tests. Also by default search attribute addition may be eventually consistent, so you’ll need to pass a Temporalite option [like this](https://github.com/temporalio/sdk-python/blob/e1d983e226d055424a6c3404651079b23a44f5f0/tests/conftest.py#L78-L83).

FYI, with the next server release we will likely change `start_local` to use Temporal CLI instead (see [this issue](https://github.com/temporalio/sdk-python/issues/272)) so any `temporalite_` params will not work (they are marked experimental).

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_[View the full topic](https://community.temporal.io/t/enabling-search-attributes-in-testing-workflow-environment/8535)._