---
id: csscompressor
version: "0.9.5"
license: BSD
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# csscompressor — A python port of YUI CSS Compressor

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 948.5K/mo

## What it is and what it does

csscompressor is a Python port of the YUI CSS Compressor, a tool that reduces CSS file size by stripping whitespace, comments, and other redundant syntax while preserving functionality. It has no runtime dependencies and can be used either as a Python library via the `compress()` function or as a command-line utility.

The package passes all original YUI Compressor unit tests, making it a faithful implementation of that algorithm. However, it is no longer actively maintained—the last release was 2017-11-26 and the repository shows no commits since 2023-08-07. It remains in production-stable status but receives no updates for modern CSS features or security issues.

Use it for:

- Minify CSS files during a build pipeline to reduce stylesheet download size in web applications
- Compress inline CSS in HTML templates or dynamically generated stylesheets before serving to browsers
- Batch-process CSS codebases using the YUI algorithm as part of asset optimization
- Integrate CSS compression into Python-based static site generators or build tools

## Worth the install?

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

Compresses CSS by removing unnecessary whitespace and comments, following the YUI CSS Compressor algorithm.

No, unless you have a specific requirement for the YUI CSS Compressor algorithm or an existing dependency on this exact package. The project is abandoned (last release 2017-11-26, no commits since 2023-08-07), has high install friction (source-only), and the maintenance status is abandoned. If you need CSS compression, evaluate actively maintained alternatives.

## Install

pip install csscompressor
uv add csscompressor
poetry add csscompressor

## Installing csscompressor

Before you install: High install friction due to source-only distribution (no wheels). Package is abandoned—last release was 2017-11-26, with no maintenance activity since 2023-08-07. Use only if you have a specific dependency on this exact implementation.

License in practice: Published under BSD license (permissive), which allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions. No licensing barrier to adoption.

Quickstart:

pip install csscompressor

from csscompressor import compress
result = compress('your css { content: "!"; }')
print(result)  # 'your css{content:"!"}'

# Or from command line:
# python3 -m csscompressor --help

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package works reliably on Python versions beyond 3.3+ (classifiers list 2.6, 2.7, 3 but no upper bound specified)
- Current compatibility with modern CSS syntax and edge cases not covered by original YUI test suite
- Whether source-only distribution causes build failures on platforms without a C compiler
- How actively maintained alternatives compare in performance and feature coverage

## Package facts

- License: BSD (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: high
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 948.5K/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

css minification, css compression, remove css whitespace, yui compressor python, css optimizer, stylesheet minifier, css build tool, css-minification, abandoned, legacy

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/csscompressor) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/csscompressor/)