censys
An easy-to-use and lightweight API wrapper for Censys APIs (censys.io).
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you need to query Censys data and are comfortable with the deprecation timeline. The library is stable, actively maintained, and has low install friction. However, review the deprecation notice carefully: if you are starting a new project, evaluate censys-platform as your long-term choice. For existing code or ASM-only use cases, this package remains a solid choice.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires valid Censys API credentials (CENSYS_API_ID and CENSYS_API_SECRET environment variables or configured via `censys config` command).
- Low install friction with five common runtime dependencies (requests, urllib3, backoff, rich, argcomplete).
- The project is actively maintained with recent commits and a stable release history since 2015.
License · maintenance · safety
Apache-2.0 (permissive) — Licensed under Apache License 2.0 (permissive), so you can use, modify, and distribute the package freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.
last release 2025-12-11 (246 days) · last repo commit 2026-07-26 · 468 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 408,252 downloads/mo, #6,883 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install censys
import os
from censys.search import CensysHosts
os.environ['CENSYS_API_ID'] = 'your_api_id'
os.environ['CENSYS_API_SECRET'] = 'your_api_secret'
h = CensysHosts()
results = h.view('1.1.1.1')- Whether the deprecated Search v1/v2 APIs will remain functional during a migration window or if immediate switching to censys-platform is required.
- Performance characteristics and rate limits for bulk operations or large-scale searches.
What it is and what it does
Censys is a Python wrapper around the Censys internet-wide scanning and data APIs. It lets you query data on hosts, certificates, services, and network infrastructure, plus manage assets and events if you have a Censys ASM account. The library supports both programmatic access via Python and command-line queries through a built-in CLI.
The package is actively maintained and supports Python 3.8 through 3.14. However, the description includes a deprecation notice: the Search v1 and v2 APIs will be phased out in favor of a new Censys Platform API (available as the separate censys-platform package). The ASM APIs in this library are not deprecated and will continue to be supported. If you are starting a new project, you should evaluate whether to use this library or migrate to censys-platform.
Use it for
- Search for hosts, certificates, or services across the internet to understand your organization's external attack surface.
- Perform bulk certificate lookups to track SSL/TLS deployments and identify potential security issues.
- Download bulk datasets from Censys for offline analysis or integration into security workflows.
- Manage assets, events, and reconnaissance seeds in Censys ASM for continuous monitoring.
- Build command-line tools or scripts that query Censys data without writing custom HTTP clients.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you need to query Censys data and are comfortable with the deprecation timeline.
The library is stable, actively maintained, and has low install friction. However, review the deprecation notice carefully: if you are starting a new project, evaluate censys-platform as your long-term choice. For existing code or ASM-only use cases, this package remains a solid choice.
Install
censys on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with five common runtime dependencies (requests, urllib3, backoff, rich, argcomplete). The project is actively maintained with recent commits and a stable release history since 2015.
Requires valid Censys API credentials (CENSYS_API_ID and CENSYS_API_SECRET environment variables or configured via `censys config` command).
License in practice
Licensed under Apache License 2.0 (permissive), so you can use, modify, and distribute the package freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install censys
import os
from censys.search import CensysHosts
os.environ['CENSYS_API_ID'] = 'your_api_id'
os.environ['CENSYS_API_SECRET'] = 'your_api_secret'
h = CensysHosts()
results = h.view('1.1.1.1')Verify before relying
- Whether the deprecated Search v1/v2 APIs will remain functional during a migration window or if immediate switching to censys-platform is required.
- Performance characteristics and rate limits for bulk operations or large-scale searches.
Package facts
| License | Apache-2.0 permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release <4.0,>=3.8 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 5 packagesrequestsurllib3backoffrichargcomplete |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 246 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 408,252 / month, #6,883 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleIntended Audience :: DevelopersIntended Audience :: Information TechnologyIntended Audience :: Science/ResearchIntended Audience :: System AdministratorsLicense :: OSI Approved :: Apache Software LicenseNatural Language :: EnglishOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming 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 :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyTopic :: Documentation :: SphinxTopic :: InternetTopic :: Internet :: WWW/HTTP :: HTTP ServersTopic :: Internet :: WWW/HTTP :: Indexing/SearchTopic :: Scientific/Engineering :: Information AnalysisTopic :: SecurityTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python ModulesTopic :: System :: NetworkingTopic :: UtilitiesTyping :: Typed |
Evidence: censys-2.2.19-py3-none-any.whl
Tags
Let your AI agent find packages like this
Example. Real query, live index.
You found this page by searching. An agent finds it by wishing: SkillFed indexes 14,416 PyPI packages by what they can do, searchable in plain language.
wish › “censys api wrapper”
- censysA Python wrapper for Censys APIs that lets you search internet-wide…
- twentyc.rpcA client library for consuming 20c's RESTful API, built on top of the…
- asyncprawAsync PRAW provides asynchronous access to Reddit's API, allowing you…
Give your agent the search over MCP, or paste the wish link into any chat.
More Python Modules packages
Converts domain names between Unicode and ASCII-compatible encoding (Punycode) according to IDNA 2008 and Unicode Technical Standard 46, with security validation and broader script coverage than the standard library.
Install it if you work with internationalized domain names, need to validate domains, or use HTTP clients that depend on it transitively.
Setuptools is a Python build backend and package management tool that handles building, distributing, and installing Python packages, including support for C/C++ extension modules.
PyYAML parses and emits YAML 1.1 data format, enabling serialization and deserialization of configuration files and Python objects to and from human-readable YAML text.
Pydantic validates Python data structures against type hints, coercing and checking input at runtime to ensure it matches a declared schema.
Provides reusable metadata objects for use with PEP-593 `typing.Annotated` to express common constraints like bounds, collection sizes, and predicates on types.
Install it if you use or build libraries that need to express type constraints in a standardized, inspectable way—or if you want to annotate your own types with…
Provides runtime tools to inspect and introspect Python type annotations, enabling programmatic examination of type hints at execution time.
See also ipwhois · shodan · netaddr · archspec · brave-search · pyasn · wincertstore · certbot · nslookup · sslyze