---
id: azure-containerregistry
version: "1.2.0"
license: MIT License
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# azure-containerregistry — Microsoft Azure Azure Container Registry Client Library for Python

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 1.6M/mo

## What it is and what it does

Azure Container Registry is a Microsoft-managed service for storing and managing container images and OCI artifacts in a private registry. This client library provides Python bindings to interact with that registry—listing repositories, tags, and manifests; querying image metadata; setting read/write/delete permissions on artifacts; and deleting images, tags, or entire repositories. It wraps the Azure Container Registry REST API and integrates with Azure Identity for authentication via Azure Active Directory.

The library is designed for developers who need programmatic control over container images stored in Azure. It supports operations ranging from simple metadata queries to complex image lifecycle management, such as deleting old images while preserving the most recent versions. It has no runtime dependencies beyond the Azure SDK ecosystem (which is installed separately) and requires Python 3.7 or later.

Use it for:

- Automate cleanup of old container images in a registry, retaining only the most recent versions by digest or timestamp.
- Query image metadata and tags to verify which versions are deployed or to audit registry contents.
- Set or revoke read/write/delete permissions on specific images or artifacts for access control.
- List all repositories and their tags to build a registry inventory or integration with CI/CD pipelines.
- Upload custom OCI images and artifacts by managing blobs, manifests, and layer uploads programmatically.

## Worth the install?

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

Client library for managing container images, artifacts, and metadata in Azure Container Registry—list repositories and tags, query image properties, set access controls, and delete registry items.

Yes. Low install friction, no runtime dependencies, actively maintained, permissive MIT license, and production-stable status make it a straightforward choice for any Python project that needs to manage Azure Container Registry resources. Verify that your authentication environment (Azure credentials) is properly configured before use.

## Install

pip install azure-containerregistry
uv add azure-containerregistry
poetry add azure-containerregistry

## Installing azure-containerregistry

Before you install: Low install friction; pure Python wheel with no runtime dependencies. Actively maintained as of 2026-08-14 with production-stable status. Requires Python 3.7 or later.

License in practice: MIT License (permissive); no restrictions on commercial or private use, modification, or redistribution.

Quickstart:

pip install --pre azure-containerregistry

from azure.containerregistry import ContainerRegistryClient
from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential

endpoint = "https://mycontainerregistry.azurecr.io"
audience = "https://management.azure.com"
client = ContainerRegistryClient(endpoint, DefaultAzureCredential(), audience=audience)
for repo in client.list_repository_names():
    print(repo)

Requires Azure subscription and an existing Container Registry account; AZURE_CLIENT_ID, AZURE_TENANT_ID, and AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET environment variables must be set for DefaultAzureCredential authentication.

Verify before relying:

- Whether azure-identity is an optional or required dependency for all authentication flows.
- Support status for Python 3.7 given the package's latest release date (2023-07-11).

## Package facts

- License: MIT License (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 1.6M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

azure container registry client, acr image management python, container registry metadata api, azure artifact storage, registry repository listing, container image properties, acr authentication python, docker image registry client, azure-sdk, container-registry, cloud-storage

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