diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-python.yml b/.github/workflows/build-python.yml
index cc48f83..efb660c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-python.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-python.yml
@@ -58,9 +58,8 @@ jobs:
           name: wheels
           path: python/dist
 
-      # only run docs on target x86_64
       - name: Build Python docs
-        if: matrix.target == 'x86_64'
+        if: matrix.target == 'x86_64' # avoids redudundant builds; pdoc isn't arch-specific
         working-directory: python
         shell: bash
         # TODO: pdoc is documenting the installed module, not the source folder.
diff --git a/examples/python/basic.py b/examples/python/basic.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..25bd56f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/python/basic.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import blyss
+
+api_key = "<YOUR API KEY HERE>"
+client = blyss.Client(api_key, "https://alpha.api.blyss.dev")
+
+# Create the bucket and fill it with some data
+bucket_name = "state-capitals"
+bucket = None
+if not client.exists(bucket_name):
+    client.create(bucket_name)
+
+# Connect to your bucket
+bucket = client.connect(bucket_name)
+
+# Write some data (keys are strings, values are bytes)
+bucket.write(
+    {
+        "California": "Sacramento".encode(),
+        "Ohio": "Columbus".encode(),
+        "New York": "Albany".encode(),
+    }
+)
+
+# This is a completely *private* query:
+# the server *cannot* learn that you looked up "California" or "Texas"!
+print("Privately reading the capital of California...")
+capitals = bucket.private_read(["California", "Texas"])
+
+# when a requested key is not found, its value is None
+capitals = [c.decode() if c else None for c in capitals]
+print(f"Got '{capitals}'!")
diff --git a/examples/python/main.py b/examples/python/main.py
deleted file mode 100644
index d1f262c..0000000
--- a/examples/python/main.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-import blyss
-import logging
-import requests
-import json
-
-api_key = "<YOUR API KEY HERE>"
-client = blyss.Client(api_key)
-
-# Create the bucket and fill it with some data
-bucket_name = "state-capitals"
-bucket = None
-if not client.exists(bucket_name):
-    client.create(bucket_name)
-
-# Connect to your bucket
-bucket = client.connect(bucket_name)
-
-# Write some data to it
-bucket.write(
-    {
-        "California": "Sacramento",
-        "Ohio": "Columbus",
-        "New York": "Albany",
-    }
-)
-
-# This is a completely *private* query:
-# the server *cannot* learn that you looked up "California"!
-print("Privately reading the capital of California...")
-capital = bucket.private_read("California")
-print(f"Got '{capital}'!")
-
-# This is a completely *private* intersection operation:
-# the server *cannot* learn that the set was ['Wyoming', 'California', 'Ohio']!
-set_to_test = ["Wyoming", "California", "Ohio"]
-intersection = bucket.private_key_intersect(set_to_test)
-print(f"Intersection of {set_to_test} and bucket yielded: {intersection}")
diff --git a/python/Cargo.lock b/python/Cargo.lock
index ab7a3d2..e3f66fb 100644
--- a/python/Cargo.lock
+++ b/python/Cargo.lock
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "blyss-client-python"
-version = "0.2.1"
+version = "0.2.2"
 dependencies = [
  "pyo3",
  "spiral-rs",
diff --git a/python/Cargo.toml b/python/Cargo.toml
index b044422..42b75d0 100644
--- a/python/Cargo.toml
+++ b/python/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "blyss-client-python"
-version = "0.2.1"
+version = "0.2.2"
 edition = "2021"
 rust-version = "1.70.0"
 
@@ -11,4 +11,4 @@ crate-type = ["cdylib"]
 
 [dependencies]
 pyo3 = { version = "0.17.1", features = ["extension-module"] }
-spiral-rs = { path = "../lib/spiral-rs" }
\ No newline at end of file
+spiral-rs = { path = "../lib/spiral-rs" }
diff --git a/python/blyss/api.py b/python/blyss/api.py
index 0f373ce..3b0e620 100644
--- a/python/blyss/api.py
+++ b/python/blyss/api.py
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ async def exists(self, bucket_name: str) -> bool:
         """
         try:
             await _async_get(
-                self.api_key, self._service_url_for("/" + bucket_name + CHECK_PATH)
+                self.api_key, self._service_url_for("/" + bucket_name + META_PATH)
             )
             return True
         except ApiException as e:
diff --git a/python/blyss/bucket_service.py b/python/blyss/bucket_service.py
index 56a5601..9b14aef 100644
--- a/python/blyss/bucket_service.py
+++ b/python/blyss/bucket_service.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from typing import Any, Optional, Union
 from . import bucket, api, seed
 
-BLYSS_BUCKET_URL = "https://beta.api.blyss.dev"
+BLYSS_BUCKET_URL = "https://alpha.api.blyss.dev"
 DEFAULT_BUCKET_PARAMETERS = {
     "maxItemSize": 1000,
     "keyStoragePolicy": "none",
diff --git a/python/tests/test_service.py b/python/tests/test_service.py
index fc0f1a1..23e3d5e 100644
--- a/python/tests/test_service.py
+++ b/python/tests/test_service.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ async def test_e2e_async(
     client = blyss.AsyncClient(api_key, endpoint)
     # generate random string for bucket name
     bucket_name = generateBucketName()
-    await client.create(bucket_name, usage_hints={"maxItemSize": 40_000})
+    await client.create(bucket_name, usage_hints={"maxItemSize": 10_000})
     print("Created bucket")
     bucket = await client.connect(bucket_name)
     print(await bucket.info())
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ def test_e2e(endpoint: str, api_key: str, N: int = 4000, itemSize: int = 32):
     client = blyss.Client(api_key, endpoint)
     # generate random string for bucket name
     bucket_name = generateBucketName()
-    client.create(bucket_name, usage_hints={"maxItemSize": 40_000})
+    client.create(bucket_name, usage_hints={"maxItemSize": 10_000})
     print("Created bucket")
     bucket = client.connect(bucket_name)
     print(bucket.info())