black

The uncompromising code formatter.

black Permissive license MIT Active ★ 41,800 v26.5.1 released 2026-05-18

Install

black on PyPI

pip

pip install black

uv

uv add black

poetry

poetry add black

Package facts

License	MIT (permissive)
Python support	supports the current Python release (>=3.10)
Install friction	low — pure-Python wheel
Runtime dependencies	8 — click, mypy-extensions, packaging, pathspec, platformdirs, pytokens, tomli, typing-extensions
Maintenance	actively maintained — 87 days since the last release
Last repo commit	2026-08-10
First released	2018-03-14
Popularity	one of the top 1,000 most-downloaded packages on PyPI (30-day window, as of 2026-08-13)
Known vulnerabilities	none known (OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-13)

Evidence: black-26.5.1-py3-none-any.whl

Keywords: automation, autopep8, formatter, gofmt, pyfmt, rustfmt, yapf

Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleIntended Audience :: DevelopersOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.15Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTopic :: Software Development :: Quality Assurance

About black

from the package's own PyPI description — quoted content, verbatim

Black Logo (image)

<h2 align="center">The Uncompromising Code Formatter</h2>

<p align="center"> <a href="https://github.com/psf/black/actions"><img alt="Actions Status" src="https://github.com/psf/black/workflows/Test/badge.svg"></a> <a href="https://black.readthedocs.io/en/stable/?badge=stable"><img alt="Documentation Status" src="https://readthedocs.org/projects/black/badge/?version=stable"></a> <a href="https://coveralls.io/github/psf/black?branch=main"><img alt="Coverage Status" src="https://coveralls.io/repos/github/psf/black/badge.svg?branch=main"></a> <a href="https://github.com/psf/black/blob/main/LICENSE"><img alt="License: MIT" src="https://black.readthedocs.io/en/stable/_static/license.svg"></a> <a href="https://pypi.org/project/black/"><img alt="PyPI" src="https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/black"></a> <a href="https://pypi.org/project/black"><img alt="Supported Python Versions" src="https://img.shields.io/pypi/pyversions/black?color=brightgreen"></a> <a href="https://pepy.tech/project/black"><img alt="Downloads"...

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AI interpretation — verify before relying

AI-generated interpretation of the package facts above; every digit, version, license, or vulnerability id it cites is grounded in the facts already shown on this page

Black is an opinionated Python code formatter that automatically reformats entire files to enforce a consistent, deterministic style, eliminating manual formatting decisions and code review friction.

Low friction installation with 8 lightweight runtime dependencies; actively maintained with a recent release 87 days ago. The wheel distribution and pure-Python dependencies ensure straightforward setup across platforms.

MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution in both open-source and commercial projects with minimal obligations—only attribution required.

Usage

pip install black
python -m black {source_file_or_directory}

Requires Python 3.10 or later to run.

Verdict: Black is a mature, actively maintained formatter with zero known vulnerabilities, permissive MIT licensing, and minimal install friction. The opinionated design trades configuration flexibility for determinism and reduced code review overhead—ideal for teams prioritizing consistency over customization.

Needs verification

Whether the 8 runtime dependencies (click, mypy-extensions, packaging, pathspec, platformdirs, pytokens, tomli, typing-extensions) have their own known vulnerabilities or maintenance gaps.
Performance characteristics and memory footprint when formatting very large codebases or projects with thousands of files.
Real-world adoption scope and production usage patterns across major projects.

python code formatterautomatic code formattingpep 8 formatteropinionated code stylepython style enforcementcode beautifier pythondeterministic formatting