inquirerpy

What it is and what it does

InquirerPy is a Python implementation of Inquirer.js, providing a collection of interactive command-line prompts for building conversational CLI applications. It wraps prompt-toolkit to deliver cross-platform terminal UI components including text input, confirmations, single and multi-select lists, checkboxes, and fuzzy-searchable selections. The library was created as a modernized successor to PyInquirer, addressing its limitations (outdated prompt-toolkit pinning, color and cursor issues, missing key-binding options) while maintaining backward compatibility and adding new features like pagination and a fuzzy prompt.

Most developers use it to build CLI tools that guide users through interactive workflows—configuration wizards, multi-step forms, or menu-driven applications. It supports both a classic dictionary-based API (compatible with PyInquirer) and a fluent builder syntax. The package is lightweight, with only two runtime dependencies, and works on Windows, macOS, and Linux, though Unix platforms generally have better terminal support.

Use it for:

• Build interactive CLI setup wizards that guide users through configuration steps with text inputs, confirmations, and selections.
• Create menu-driven command-line tools where users select from lists or checkboxes to control application behavior.
• Implement fuzzy-searchable selection prompts for choosing from large lists of options (files, resources, configurations).
• Add interactive surveys or questionnaires to CLI applications that collect structured user responses.
• Build terminal-based installers or deployment scripts that prompt for environment-specific choices.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

InquirerPy provides interactive command-line prompts (text input, confirmations, selections, checkboxes, fuzzy search) for building conversational CLI interfaces in Python.

Yes, with conditions. InquirerPy is stable and well-suited for building interactive CLIs with low install friction and no known vulnerabilities. However, the project is dormant (last release 2022-06-27), so adopt it only if you need its specific feature set (especially the fuzzy prompt) and can tolerate no active maintenance. For new projects, consider whether an actively maintained alternative better fits your risk tolerance.

Install

inquirerpy on PyPI

pip install inquirerpy

uv add inquirerpy

poetry add inquirerpy

Installing inquirerpy

Before you install

Low friction install with just two runtime dependencies (prompt-toolkit and pfzy). However, the project is dormant—last release was 2022-06-27, with no updates since then despite an active repository.

License in practice

MIT license is permissive and imposes no restrictions on use, modification, or distribution in proprietary or open-source projects.

Quickstart

pip install InquirerPy

from InquirerPy import inquirer

name = inquirer.text(message="What's your name:").execute()
confirm = inquirer.confirm(message="Confirm?").execute()

Requires Python 3.7 or later; prompt-toolkit and pfzy must be installed as runtime dependencies.

Verify before relying

• Whether dormancy affects real-world stability or if the library is feature-complete and stable enough to require no updates.
• Compatibility with the latest versions of prompt-toolkit beyond what the description excerpt explicitly states.
• Whether the fuzzy search prompt works reliably in production use cases.

Package facts

Evidence: InquirerPy-0.3.4-py3-none-any.whl

Keywords: cli, prompt-toolkit, commandline, inquirer, development

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