---
id: fuzzyfinder
version: "2.3.0"
license: BSD
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: aging
---

# fuzzyfinder — Fuzzy Finder implemented in Python.

License: permissive · Maintenance: aging · Downloads: 149.8K/mo

## What it is and what it does

Fuzzyfinder is a pure-Python fuzzy matching library that ranks partial string matches from a collection, similar to the fuzzy finders built into Sublime Text and Vim. It takes a search query and a list of candidates, then returns matches ranked by how well they fit the query pattern—characters need not be consecutive. The library supports customization through an accessor function to extract strings from non-string objects, case-sensitive or case-insensitive matching, optional result sorting, and terminal highlighting of matched substrings.

The implementation relies only on Python's standard library, making it lightweight and easy to embed. It's useful for building autocomplete interfaces, command palettes, or search filters where users type partial queries and expect intelligent ranking of results.

Use it for:

- Build autocomplete or search-as-you-type interfaces in CLI tools or web applications.
- Filter and rank command suggestions in a command palette or REPL.
- Implement fuzzy file or symbol search in editor plugins or IDE extensions.
- Rank user-facing search results where exact substring matching is too strict.
- Extract matching items from structured data using a custom accessor function.

## Worth the install?

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

Fuzzy finder that matches partial strings from a list and returns ranked results, similar to Sublime Text and Vim's Ctrl-P plugin.

Yes. Fuzzyfinder is a lightweight, dependency-free fuzzy matching library with no known vulnerabilities and a permissive license. It is well-suited for CLI tools, autocomplete features, and search interfaces. The aging maintenance status (481 days since last release) suggests the package is stable but not actively developed; use it when you need straightforward fuzzy matching without ongoing feature development.

## Install

pip install fuzzyfinder
uv add fuzzyfinder
poetry add fuzzyfinder

## Installing fuzzyfinder

Before you install: Installs cleanly with no external dependencies beyond Python standard library. Maintenance status is aging—last release was 481 days ago, though the repository remains active with a recent commit on 2025-08-10.

License in practice: BSD license is permissive, allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install fuzzyfinder

from fuzzyfinder import fuzzyfinder
suggestions = fuzzyfinder('abc', ['acb', 'defabca', 'abcd', 'aagbec', 'xyz', 'qux'])
print(list(suggestions))  # ['abcd', 'defabca', 'aagbec']

Requires Python 3.10 or later.

Verify before relying:

- Performance characteristics on large collections (thousands or millions of strings).
- Whether the aging maintenance status indicates the package is stable or at risk of abandonment.

## Package facts

- License: BSD (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: aging
- Downloads: 149.8K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

fuzzy string matching, fuzzy finder algorithm, partial string search, fuzzy search library, approximate string matching, text filtering and ranking, autocomplete suggestions, fuzzy-matching, search-ranking, cli-tools

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