---
id: dotmap
version: "1.3.30"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# dotmap — ordered, dynamically-expandable dot-access dictionary

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 2.1M/mo

## What it is and what it does

DotMap is a lightweight dict subclass that enables dot-notation access to dictionary keys and values. Instead of writing m['key'], you write m.key, which is often more readable in code. The package automatically creates nested structures on access (m.people.steve.age = 31 works without pre-initializing the intermediate levels), supports initialization from regular dicts, and preserves insertion order for iteration.

It remains a true dict underneath, so you can mix dot and bracket notation freely, iterate over it, and convert back to plain dicts. The package has no external dependencies and installs as a pure Python wheel, making it a minimal addition to any project that wants cleaner dictionary syntax.

Use it for:

- Configuration objects where dot notation is more readable than nested bracket access
- Building hierarchical data structures dynamically without pre-defining the schema
- Converting JSON or dict-based API responses to objects with attribute-style access
- Simplifying code that accesses deeply nested dictionaries by using dot chains
- Prototyping data models where you want dict flexibility with object-like syntax

## Worth the install?

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

DotMap is a dict subclass that lets you access dictionary keys using dot notation (m.name instead of m['name']) with automatic nested structure creation.

Yes. DotMap is a stable, zero-dependency utility with permissive licensing, no known vulnerabilities, and active maintenance. Install it when you want cleaner syntax for dict access or need automatic hierarchy creation; skip it if you prefer explicit dict operations or are already using a full data-class library.

## Install

pip install dotmap
uv add dotmap
poetry add dotmap

## Installing dotmap

Before you install: Installation is straightforward with no runtime dependencies. The package is actively maintained with a recent commit history and has been stable since its first release in 2015.

License in practice: MIT license permits free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, making it suitable for both open-source and commercial projects.

Quickstart:

pip install dotmap

from dotmap import DotMap
m = DotMap()
m.name = 'Joe'
print(m.name)  # Joe
print(m['name'])  # Joe

Verify before relying:

- Whether performance characteristics are documented for large nested structures
- Compatibility with modern Python versions (requires_python is unspecified)

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 2.1M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

dot notation dictionary access, dict with dot syntax, nested dict autovivification, ordered dynamic dictionary, attribute-style dict access, dict subclass dot access, hierarchical dict creation, dict-wrapper, syntax-convenience

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