---
id: airbyte-protocol-models-dataclasses
version: "0.18.0"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: aging
---

# airbyte-protocol-models-dataclasses — Declares the Airbyte Protocol using Python Dataclasses. Dataclasses in Python have less performance overhead compared to Pydantic models, making them a more efficient choice for scenarios where speed and memory usage are critical

License: permissive · Maintenance: aging · Downloads: 434.2K/mo

## What it is and what it does

This package defines the Airbyte Protocol as a set of Python dataclasses. Airbyte is a data integration platform, and the protocol specifies the contract between connectors and the core platform. By using dataclasses instead of heavier alternatives, the package trades some validation features for lower memory and CPU overhead—useful when protocol messages are processed at scale or in resource-constrained environments.

The package contains no runtime dependencies, making it lightweight to integrate into connector code or platform components. It supports Python 3.9 and later. The underlying protocol is declared in JSONSchema (airbyte_protocol.yaml) and exposed through Python types, allowing developers to work with type hints and IDE autocomplete when building or consuming connectors.

Use it for:

- Building Airbyte source or destination connectors that need to emit or consume protocol messages with type safety
- Integrating Airbyte into data pipelines where connector performance and memory footprint matter
- Validating or transforming Airbyte protocol messages in middleware or orchestration layers
- Developing custom Airbyte extensions that interact with the protocol specification

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Provides Python dataclass models for the Airbyte Protocol, enabling type-safe work with Airbyte data pipeline specifications with minimal performance overhead.

Yes, if you are building or extending Airbyte connectors or integrations. The package is stable in practice (434174 monthly downloads, top 15000 on PyPI), has no dependencies, and MIT licensing removes legal friction. The 413-day gap since last release is a minor concern but not a blocker given the active repository. Install it if you need Airbyte protocol types; skip it otherwise.

## Install

pip install airbyte-protocol-models-dataclasses
uv add airbyte-protocol-models-dataclasses
poetry add airbyte-protocol-models-dataclasses

## Installing airbyte-protocol-models-dataclasses

Before you install: Low install friction with no runtime dependencies. Maintenance status is aging—last release was 413 days ago—but the repository remains active and supports current Python versions (3.9, 3.10, 3.11).

License in practice: MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution in both open-source and proprietary projects with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install airbyte-protocol-models-dataclasses

from airbyte_protocol_models_dataclasses import AirbyteMessage

message = AirbyteMessage(...)

Verify before relying:

- Whether dataclass performance advantage over alternative model libraries is measurable for typical workloads
- Stability guarantees given the 'Alpha' development status despite being in use since 2024-08-23

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: aging
- Downloads: 434.2K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

airbyte protocol models, airbyte dataclasses, airbyte schema validation, data pipeline protocol, airbyte connector interface, protocol message serialization, airbyte type definitions, data-integration, protocol-models, airbyte

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/airbyte-protocol-models-dataclasses) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/airbyte-protocol-models-dataclasses/)