---
id: botbuilder-core
version: "4.17.1"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# botbuilder-core — Microsoft Bot Framework Bot Builder

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 1.3M/mo

## What it is and what it does

BotBuilder-Core is Microsoft's Python SDK for building bots that communicate with users through channels configured in the Bot Framework Portal. It provides the foundational abstractions and adapters needed to handle incoming messages, manage conversation state, and route interactions across multiple channels. The package depends on four runtime libraries: botbuilder-schema (for message schemas), botframework-connector (for channel communication), botframework-streaming (for streaming protocols), and jsonpickle (for serialization).

The package is classified as Production/Stable but the underlying repository is archived and abandoned as of the latest commit on 2026-01-05. This means no new features, bug fixes, or security patches are being released. It remains suitable for maintaining existing bots or learning Bot Framework concepts, but new projects should evaluate whether an actively maintained alternative exists or whether the framework itself remains the right choice for your use case.

Use it for:

- Maintain or extend an existing bot built with the Bot Framework that is already in production.
- Build a simple chatbot that integrates with Microsoft Teams or other Bot Framework-configured channels.
- Prototype a conversational AI application to understand Bot Framework architecture and message handling patterns.
- Migrate legacy bots from older Bot Framework versions by using this SDK as a stable baseline.

## Worth the install?

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

Provides the core SDK for building bots that exchange messages with users on Bot Framework channels configured in the Bot Framework Portal.

No, unless you are actively maintaining an existing bot already built with this SDK. The repository is archived and abandoned, with no recent maintenance or security updates. New projects should seek an actively maintained Bot Framework SDK or alternative conversational AI framework. If you must use it, be aware that you will not receive bug fixes, security patches, or compatibility updates for newer Python versions.

## Install

pip install botbuilder-core
uv add botbuilder-core
poetry add botbuilder-core

## Installing botbuilder-core

Before you install: Low install friction with a pure-wheel distribution. However, the repository is archived and marked as abandoned, with the last commit on 2026-01-05 and no active maintenance—use only if you are maintaining existing bots or cannot migrate to an actively supported alternative.

License in practice: Licensed under MIT (permissive), so you may use, modify, and distribute it freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install botbuilder-core

from botbuilder.core import BotFrameworkAdapter, TurnContext

adapter = BotFrameworkAdapter(app_id, app_password)
# Configure adapter and handle incoming messages

Requires Python >= 3.7.0; the repository is archived and no longer maintained, so you may encounter compatibility issues with newer Python versions or dependencies.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package remains compatible with Python versions beyond 3.7 given the abandoned maintenance status.
- Current state of the four runtime dependencies (botbuilder-schema, botframework-connector, botframework-streaming, jsonpickle) and whether they are still maintained.
- Whether Microsoft provides any alternative or successor SDK for Bot Framework development in Python.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 1.3M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

bot framework python sdk, build chatbots python, bot builder core, microsoft bot framework, conversational ai python, bot message handling, bot channel integration, archived-unmaintained, bot-framework, microsoft

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