check-manifest
Check MANIFEST.in in a Python source package for completeness
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. check-manifest solves a real, recurring problem for Python package maintainers—incomplete source distributions—with low friction and no security concerns. It's actively maintained, supports current Python versions (3.8 through 3.14), and integrates cleanly into CI and pre-commit workflows. Install it if you publish packages to PyPI or maintain packages that others distribute.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires git or another version control system to detect source files; works with git, Mercurial, Bazaar, and Darcs.
- Low install friction with three straightforward runtime dependencies (build, setuptools, tomli).
- Actively maintained with recent release in October 2025 and ongoing Python version support.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions—suitable for any project.
last release 2025-10-15 (303 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-04 · 293 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 911,422 downloads/mo, #4,745 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install check-manifest
cd ~/src/mypackage
check-manifest
# To update MANIFEST.in automatically:
check-manifest -u -v- Whether the package detects all version control systems equally well or has known gaps with specific VCS backends.
- Performance characteristics when run on very large source trees or projects with many ignored patterns.
What it is and what it does
check-manifest is a command-line tool that compares the files tracked in your version control system against those included in your Python package's source distribution (sdist). It catches the common mistake of uploading incomplete packages to PyPI by identifying files that exist in your repository but are missing from MANIFEST.in. The tool can run as a standalone checker, suggest corrections to your MANIFEST.in file, or integrate into a pre-commit hook workflow.
It depends on build, setuptools, and tomli to parse your package configuration and construct a test sdist. The tool reads version control metadata directly (supporting git, Mercurial, Bazaar, and Darcs) and compares against what setuptools would actually package. You can configure ignore patterns via pyproject.toml, setup.cfg, or tox.ini to exclude files intentionally kept in version control but not meant for distribution.
Use it for
- Catch missing files before uploading a broken package to PyPI by running check-manifest in CI.
- Auto-generate or update MANIFEST.in rules for a new or existing project using the -u flag.
- Enforce packaging completeness in a pre-commit hook to prevent accidental omissions in each commit.
- Verify that generated files (like .mo translations) are correctly excluded from source distributions.
- Debug why a package installation fails due to missing data files by identifying what was left out of the sdist.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
check-manifest solves a real, recurring problem for Python package maintainers—incomplete source distributions—with low friction and no security concerns. It's actively maintained, supports current Python versions (3.8 through 3.14), and integrates cleanly into CI and pre-commit workflows. Install it if you publish packages to PyPI or maintain packages that others distribute.
Install
check-manifest on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with three straightforward runtime dependencies (build, setuptools, tomli). Actively maintained with recent release in October 2025 and ongoing Python version support.
Requires git or another version control system to detect source files; works with git, Mercurial, Bazaar, and Darcs.
License in practice
MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions—suitable for any project.
Quickstart
pip install check-manifest
cd ~/src/mypackage
check-manifest
# To update MANIFEST.in automatically:
check-manifest -u -vVerify before relying
- Whether the package detects all version control systems equally well or has known gaps with specific VCS backends.
- Performance characteristics when run on very large source trees or projects with many ignored patterns.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.8 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 3 packagesbuildsetuptoolstomli |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 303 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 911,422 / month, #4,745 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 4 - BetaEnvironment :: ConsoleIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming 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 :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPy |
Evidence: check_manifest-0.51-py3-none-any.whl
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