---
id: djangorestframework-datatables
version: "0.7.2"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# djangorestframework-datatables — Seamless integration between Django REST framework and Datatables (https://datatables.net)

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 218.6K/mo

## What it is and what it does

This package bridges Django REST Framework and the Datatables JavaScript library by providing a custom renderer and filter backend that translate Datatables' server-side request format into DRF-compatible queries. When you add the DatatablesRenderer to your REST_FRAMEWORK settings and call your existing API with `?format=datatables`, it returns JSON structured exactly as Datatables expects, handling search terms, column filters, sort order, and pagination automatically.

Your API remains unchanged and fully functional for non-Datatables clients—the Datatables format is opt-in via the query parameter. The package handles field serialization, nested relationships, and provides configuration options like `datatables_always_serialize` to control which fields appear in the response regardless of client requests.

Use it for:

- Render Django model data in an interactive HTML table with server-side search, sort, and pagination without writing a separate API.
- Add Datatables UI to an existing Django REST Framework API by enabling the format parameter on current viewsets.
- Filter and display related model fields (e.g., artist.name) in a Datatables column with automatic ORM query handling.
- Support POST requests from Datatables clients while keeping the same API endpoint for GET requests.
- Optimize large dataset display by offloading pagination and filtering to the server instead of loading all rows client-side.

## Worth the install?

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

Adds server-side Datatables support to Django REST Framework APIs, enabling searching, filtering, ordering, and pagination through a single `?format=datatables` query parameter.

Yes. This package solves a specific, common problem—integrating Datatables with Django REST Framework—with low install friction, active maintenance, no known vulnerabilities, and a permissive license. It's production-stable (Development Status 5) and widely used (top 15000 PyPI packages). Install it if you need server-side Datatables support for a DRF project.

## Install

pip install djangorestframework-datatables
uv add djangorestframework-datatables
poetry add djangorestframework-datatables

## Installing djangorestframework-datatables

Before you install: Low friction: pure Python wheel with a single runtime dependency (djangorestframework). Actively maintained with recent releases; last commit 2026-06-24 and version 0.7.2 released 2024-06-14 with Django 5.0/5.1 support.

License in practice: MIT license (permissive): you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install djangorestframework-datatables

# In Django settings.py, add to INSTALLED_APPS:
# 'rest_framework_datatables'

# Configure REST_FRAMEWORK with DatatablesRenderer, DatatablesFilterBackend, and DatatablesPageNumberPagination

# Call your API with ?format=datatables to get Datatables-compatible JSON

Requires Django (3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.0, 5.1) and Django REST Framework (3.14) to be installed and configured.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package works with Django REST Framework versions other than 3.14, or if 3.14 is the only supported version.
- Performance characteristics when handling large result sets or complex nested serializers.
- Compatibility with custom Datatables client-side plugins beyond the documented YADCF example.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 218.6K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

django rest framework datatables, server-side datatables integration, django api datatables renderer, datatables json format django, datatables pagination filtering django, rest framework datatables filter, datatables compatible django api, datatables, django-integration, rest-api

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