---
id: flask-swagger
version: "0.2.14"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# flask-swagger — Extract swagger specs from your flask project

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 151.8K/mo

## What it is and what it does

flask-swagger is a documentation extraction tool that reads YAML docstrings embedded in Flask view functions and MethodView methods, then generates a Swagger 2.0 specification object. It parses the YAML following a convention where content before `---` becomes the endpoint summary and description, and content after becomes the Operation object (parameters, responses, schemas, tags). The tool supports inline schema definitions with an `id` field that get collected into a definitions section, and handles nested schemas within properties.

You use it by calling the `swagger()` function on your Flask app to generate a spec dictionary, which you then expose via a Flask route (typically `/spec`) and serve to Swagger UI or other documentation consumers. The spec returned is minimal—you're expected to augment it with metadata like API title and version. The package depends only on Flask and PyYAML, making installation straightforward, but it has been unmaintained since 2019 and is unlikely to receive updates for newer Swagger or Flask versions.

Use it for:

- Generate Swagger 2.0 documentation from existing Flask endpoints without writing separate spec files
- Serve API specs to Swagger UI for interactive API exploration and testing
- Export Flask API contracts for client code generation or third-party integrations
- Document MethodView-based REST APIs by embedding operation details in docstrings
- Build minimal API documentation endpoints that reflect your current Flask routes

## Worth the install?

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

Extracts Swagger 2.0 API specifications from Flask applications by parsing YAML docstrings in view functions and MethodView classes.

No—unless you are maintaining legacy code already using this package. The project is abandoned (last release 2019, last commit 2021) with no active maintenance. For new projects, use actively maintained alternatives like Flask-RESTX, Flasgger, or Connexion that support modern OpenAPI 3.0 specs and receive regular updates. The low install friction and permissive license do not offset the risk of relying on unmaintained code.

## Install

pip install flask-swagger
uv add flask-swagger
poetry add flask-swagger

## Installing flask-swagger

Before you install: Low install friction with only Flask and PyYAML as runtime dependencies. However, the package is abandoned—last release was 2019-03-26 and last commit 2021-11-18. No active maintenance means security updates and compatibility fixes are unlikely.

License in practice: MIT license is permissive and imposes minimal restrictions; you can use, modify, and distribute the package freely with attribution.

Quickstart:

pip install flask-swagger

from flask import Flask, jsonify
from flask_swagger import swagger

app = Flask(__name__)

@app.route("/spec")
def spec():
    return jsonify(swagger(app))

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package works reliably with modern Flask and PyYAML versions given its abandoned status
- Compatibility with Python versions beyond 3.4 (classifiers list 3.4 but no requires_python constraint)
- Whether Swagger 2.0 spec extraction meets current OpenAPI/Swagger UI expectations

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 151.8K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

swagger spec from flask, api documentation generator, flask openapi extraction, swagger 2.0 docstring parser, flask api spec extractor, rest api documentation, swagger ui integration, api-documentation, swagger-spec, abandoned

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