---
title: Install the Java SDK
slug: feature-experimentation/docs/install-sdk-java
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-08-05T20:40:03.000Z
---

The Java SDK is distributed through Maven Central and is created with source and target compatibility of [Java 8 (version 1.8)](https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase/jdk8-naming.html). The `core-api` and `httpclient` packages are [optimizely-sdk-core-api](https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/com.optimizely.ab/core-api) and [optimizely-sdk-httpclient](https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/com.optimizely.ab/core-httpclient-impl), respectively.

`core-api` requires `org.slf4j:slf4j-api:1.7.16` and a supported JSON parser. Optimizely integrates with these parsers (listed in their selection order priority):

1. [GSON](https://github.com/google/gson)
2. [Jackson](https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson)
3. [json.org](http://www.json.org/)
4. [json-simple](https://code.google.com/archive/p/json-simple/)

If more than one of these parsers are available at runtime, the `core-api` chooses one for use per the selection order priority. If none of these packages are already provided in your project's classpath, you must add one.

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**
Optimizely Feature Experimentation previously distributed the Java SDK through Bintray/JCenter. But, as of April 27, 2021, [Bintray/JCenter will become a read-only repository indefinitely](https://jfrog.com/blog/into-the-sunset-bintray-jcenter-gocenter-and-chartcenter/). The publish repository has been migrated to [MavenCentral](https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/com.optimizely.ab) for the SDK version 3.8.1 or later. Older versions will still be available in JCenter.
:::

```java
repositories {
    mavenCentral()
    jcenter()
}

dependencies {
    compile 'com.optimizely.ab:core-api:3.8.1'
    compile 'com.optimizely.ab:core-httpclient-impl:3.8.1'
    compile 'org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:4.5.6'

    // The SDK integrates with multiple JSON parsers. Here, we use Jackson.
    compile 'com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-core:2.9.8'
    compile 'com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-annotations:2.9.8'
    compile 'com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind:2.9.8'

    compile 'org.slf4j:slf4j-api:1.7.16'
    compile 'ch.qos.logback:logback-classic:1.1.7'
}
```

The full source code is on [GitHub](https://github.com/optimizely/java-sdk).