---
id: foxglove-sdk
version: "0.26.0"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# foxglove-sdk — Foxglove Python SDK

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 373.0K/mo

## What it is and what it does

Foxglove SDK is the official Python integration layer for the Foxglove visualization platform. It allows developers to log events and sensor data to MCAP files or stream them to a local visualization server for real-time inspection in the Foxglove app. The package is built with Rust bindings and ships as pre-compiled wheels for multiple platforms and architectures, minimizing installation friction on supported systems.

The SDK supports optional remote access via gateway connection on most modern platforms (Linux x86_64/aarch64 with glibc 2.28+, macOS, and Windows x86_64), enabling live visualization and teleoperations through the Foxglove platform. On unsupported platforms (Linux armv7, musl-based Linux, Windows x86), the package still functions for local logging and visualization. It has no runtime dependencies, making it lightweight to deploy once installed.

Use it for:

- Log robotics sensor data (lidar, camera, IMU) to MCAP files for post-hoc analysis and visualization
- Stream live telemetry from autonomous systems to Foxglove for real-time monitoring and debugging
- Integrate with simulation environments to visualize synthetic sensor outputs during development
- Enable remote teleoperations by connecting local systems to Foxglove via gateway on supported platforms
- Build data pipelines that capture and replay sensor streams for reproducible testing

## Worth the install?

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

Integrates Python applications with the Foxglove visualization platform, enabling logging to MCAP files and live visualization through a local server or remote gateway connection.

Yes, if you work with robotics, autonomous systems, or sensor data visualization. The SDK is actively maintained, has no external dependencies, and offers both local and remote visualization options. Install friction is moderate but manageable; verify platform compatibility for remote access before deploying to edge devices.

## Install

pip install foxglove-sdk
uv add foxglove-sdk
poetry add foxglove-sdk

## Installing foxglove-sdk

Before you install: Medium install friction due to platform-specific wheels and optional remote-access compilation. Active maintenance with recent releases (24 days since last update). No runtime dependencies simplifies deployment once installed.

License in practice: MIT license permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions—suitable for most projects without licensing concerns.

Quickstart:

pip install foxglove-sdk

import foxglove

# Log to MCAP file or connect to local visualization server
foxglove.log_message("topic", {"data": "value"})

Requires Python 3.10 or later. Remote access (foxglove.start_gateway) unavailable on Linux armv7, Linux musl, and Windows x86 platforms; on those systems the SDK functions normally for local logging and visualization only.

Verify before relying:

- Specific API surface and available logging/visualization methods beyond basic message logging
- Performance characteristics when handling high-frequency sensor data streams
- Whether MCAP file format is compatible with external tools or locked to Foxglove ecosystem

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 373.0K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

foxglove visualization sdk, mcap file logging python, robotics data visualization, live telemetry streaming, foxglove remote access gateway, sensor data logging, visualization platform integration, robotics-visualization, sensor-data-logging, mcap-format

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