---
id: alibabacloud-tea
version: "0.4.3"
license: Apache License 2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# alibabacloud-tea — The tea module of alibabaCloud Python SDK.

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 2.7M/mo

## What it is and what it does

alibabacloud-tea is a foundational module for Alibaba Cloud's Python SDKs. It provides common utilities, patterns, and helpers that Alibaba's cloud service client libraries depend on. The package is maintained as part of Alibaba's open-source SDK ecosystem and supports modern Python versions from 3.7 through 3.12.

This is primarily a base library consumed by other Alibaba Cloud SDK packages rather than a direct tool for end developers. It abstracts shared logic so that individual service SDKs (for compute, storage, networking, etc.) can build on a consistent foundation. Installation reports high friction, suggesting potential complexity in dependency resolution or build requirements that may warrant investigation before adding it to a project.

Use it for:

- As a transitive dependency when installing Alibaba Cloud service SDKs (e.g., for ECS, OSS, or other Alibaba services).
- Providing shared utilities and protocol implementations for custom Alibaba Cloud integrations built on the tea framework.
- Supporting multi-version Python environments where Alibaba SDK compatibility across 3.7–3.12 is required.

## Worth the install?

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

Provides a foundational utility module for Alibaba Cloud Python SDKs, offering common patterns and helpers used across Alibaba's cloud service clients.

Yes, if you are using Alibaba Cloud SDKs—it will be installed automatically as a dependency. No, if you are looking for a standalone utility library; this is a base module for Alibaba's ecosystem, not a general-purpose tool. The high install friction warrants checking whether your dependency resolution is working smoothly before committing to a project that depends on it.

## Install

pip install alibabacloud-tea
uv add alibabacloud-tea
poetry add alibabacloud-tea

## Installing alibabacloud-tea

Before you install: High install friction reported. The package is actively maintained with recent commits and supports current Python versions (3.7–3.12), but the friction signal suggests potential dependency or build complexity that may complicate installation.

License in practice: Licensed under Apache License 2.0 (permissive), allowing use in commercial and open-source projects with minimal restrictions—primarily requiring license attribution and liability disclaimers.

Quickstart:

pip install alibabacloud-tea

import tea
# Use tea utilities as a foundation for Alibaba Cloud SDK clients

Requires Python 3.7 or above; starting from version 0.4.0, earlier Python versions are no longer supported.

Verify before relying:

- What specific utilities or patterns does the tea module provide to SDK clients—beyond being a shared base?
- Does the high install friction stem from compiled dependencies, or from dependency resolution complexity?
- Is this package intended for direct use by application developers, or only as a transitive dependency of Alibaba SDKs?

## Package facts

- License: Apache License 2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: high
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 2.7M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

alibaba cloud sdk base, alibabacloud tea module, alibaba cloud python utilities, tea protocol implementation, alibaba sdk foundation, alibaba-cloud, sdk-base

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