---
id: axis
version: "74"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# axis — A Python library for communicating with devices from Axis Communications

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 81.0K/mo

## What it is and what it does

axis is a Python library for communicating with Axis Communications network devices (cameras, intercoms, etc.) using the Vapix API. It handles device discovery, authentication, and typed request/response contracts for querying device capabilities and subscribing to event streams. The library organizes handlers into initialization phases (API_DISCOVERY, PARAM_CGI_FALLBACK, APPLICATION) and exposes both low-level API access and higher-level event models.

The package is built around async I/O using aiohttp and includes an optional interactive CLI for device exploration. It's designed to be reusable by non-CLI consumers through presentation-agnostic domain layers. The library requires Python 3.14.0 and has been actively maintained since its initial release.

Use it for:

- Integrate Axis network cameras into home automation systems to query device status and subscribe to motion/audio events.
- Build a device management tool that discovers Axis devices on a network and exposes their capabilities through a typed API.
- Monitor Axis devices for specific events and trigger downstream actions based on event subscriptions.
- Automate configuration tasks on Axis devices by reading and writing parameters through the Vapix API.
- Develop a CLI utility to explore and test Axis device APIs without writing custom HTTP code.

## Worth the install?

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

Establishes connections to Axis Communications devices and subscribes to events on their metadata streams, providing typed request/response interfaces and device discovery.

Yes. The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, low install friction, and a permissive MIT license. It's well-suited for anyone integrating Axis Communications devices into Python applications or home automation systems. The only constraint is the requirement for Python 3.14.0 or later.

## Install

pip install axis
uv add axis
poetry add axis

## Installing axis

Before you install: Low friction install with a pure-Python wheel. Actively maintained with a recent release and no known vulnerabilities. Eight runtime dependencies are all well-established packages.

License in practice: MIT license is permissive; you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install axis

from axis.vapix import Vapix
from axis.models import ApiRequest

# Create a Vapix instance to communicate with an Axis device
vapix = Vapix(host='device_ip', username='root', password='pass')
await vapix.initialize()

Requires Python 3.14.0 or later; async/await patterns require an asyncio event loop.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package supports older Axis device models or only recent firmware versions.
- Performance characteristics when handling high-frequency event streams from multiple devices.
- Whether CLI features are stable or still experimental given the development-focused documentation.
- Specific example IP addresses or device configurations for typical deployment scenarios.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: capped_below_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 81.0K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

axis communications device control, vapix api client, axis camera integration, device event subscription, axis homeassistant library, network device discovery, axis metadata streaming, device-integration, home-automation, async-io

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