---
id: flake8-deprecated
version: "2.3.0"
license: GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 2, June 1991 Copyright (C) 1989, 1991 Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA Everyone is permitted to copy and… (full text in the JSON record)
license_treatment: copyleft
maintenance: aging
---

# flake8-deprecated — Warns about deprecated method calls

License: copyleft · Maintenance: aging · Downloads: 83.9K/mo

## What it is and what it does

flake8-deprecated is a linting plugin that integrates with flake8 to identify deprecated method calls in your Python code. It runs as part of your normal flake8 checks and flags lines where deprecated APIs are used, offering guidance on what to use instead. The plugin helps teams stay aligned with evolving best practices by catching outdated patterns during code review rather than at runtime.

It works by registering as a flake8 extension and checking your code against a built-in list of known deprecations. The plugin requires only flake8 as a dependency and installs as a pure Python wheel, making it lightweight to add to existing linting workflows. It supports Python 3.10 and later, including PyPy3.

Use it for:

- Enforce code modernization in CI/CD pipelines by failing builds when deprecated methods are detected.
- Guide developers toward current best practices during code review by highlighting deprecated API usage.
- Maintain compatibility with evolving library versions by catching deprecated calls before they break.
- Audit legacy codebases to identify which deprecated patterns need refactoring.
- Integrate deprecation checking into pre-commit hooks to catch issues before commits.

## Worth the install?

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

A flake8 plugin that detects calls to deprecated methods and suggests their modern replacements during code linting.

Yes, if you use flake8 and want automated detection of deprecated method calls. The plugin is lightweight, has no complex dependencies, and integrates seamlessly into existing linting workflows. The aging maintenance status is a minor concern but not a blocker—the code is stable and the repository remains active. GPLv2 copyleft licensing requires careful consideration if you distribute proprietary software.

## Install

pip install flake8-deprecated
uv add flake8-deprecated
poetry add flake8-deprecated

## Installing flake8-deprecated

Before you install: Low friction: pure Python wheel with only flake8 as a runtime dependency. Maintenance is aging (293 days since last release), but the repository remains active and not archived.

License in practice: GPLv2 copyleft license. If you distribute software that uses this plugin, you must make source code available under the same license terms.

Quickstart:

pip install flake8-deprecated

from flake8_deprecated import DeprecationChecker
# Integrates automatically with flake8; run flake8 on your code

Requires Python 3.10 or later and flake8 to be installed.

Verify before relying:

- Which specific deprecated methods are currently detected by this plugin.
- Whether the plugin's deprecation list is user-configurable or fixed.
- Performance impact on large codebases during linting.
- What error codes are emitted for different deprecation categories.

## Package facts

- License: GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 2, June 1991 Copyright (C) 1989, 1991 Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA Everyone is permitted to copy and… (full text in the JSON record) (copyleft)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: aging
- Downloads: 83.9K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

flake8 deprecation checker, detect deprecated method calls, python code quality linting, deprecation warnings flake8, method replacement suggestions, linting, code-quality, deprecation-detection

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/flake8-deprecated) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/flake8-deprecated/)