---
id: ipfshttpclient
version: "0.7.0"
license: MIT License
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# ipfshttpclient — Python IPFS HTTP CLIENT library

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 242.7K/mo

## What it is and what it does

ipfshttpclient is a Python wrapper around the IPFS HTTP API that lets you programmatically interact with IPFS nodes. It handles the low-level HTTP communication, multiaddr address parsing (via multiaddr), and request formatting (via requests) so you can focus on adding files, retrieving content, and managing pins through simple Python method calls.

The library is designed for applications that need to integrate IPFS storage and retrieval into Python workflows—uploading files to a distributed network, fetching content by hash, querying node metadata, and managing content pinning. It supports both simple one-off operations and persistent session management for efficiency. However, the package has been abandoned since March 2021 and has not received updates for nearly two years, raising concerns about compatibility with modern IPFS releases and Python versions.

Use it for:

- Add files or directories to IPFS and retrieve their content hashes for distributed storage and sharing.
- Build a Python application that reads and writes data to IPFS as an alternative to centralized file storage.
- Query IPFS node information, manage content pins, and perform administrative operations on a local or remote IPFS daemon.
- Integrate IPFS content retrieval into web scrapers or archival tools that need decentralized access to stored data.

## Worth the install?

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

A Python HTTP client library for interacting with IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) nodes, enabling you to add, retrieve, and manage content on IPFS networks through a local or remote daemon.

No—install only if you are maintaining legacy code already using this library. The package is abandoned (no updates since March 2021) and compatibility with current IPFS and Python versions is unverified. For new projects, seek a maintained fork or alternative IPFS client library.

## Install

pip install ipfshttpclient
uv add ipfshttpclient
poetry add ipfshttpclient

## Installing ipfshttpclient

Before you install: Installation is straightforward with low friction—only two runtime dependencies (multiaddr and requests). However, the package is abandoned as of 1978 days ago with no recent maintenance, meaning compatibility with current IPFS versions and Python releases is uncertain.

License in practice: Licensed under MIT (permissive), so you can use, modify, and distribute the package freely in commercial and private projects without restriction.

Quickstart:

pip install ipfshttpclient

import ipfshttpclient
client = ipfshttpclient.connect()
res = client.add('test.txt')
print(res['Hash'])

Requires a running IPFS daemon accessible at the connection address (default: /dns/localhost/tcp/5001/http); connecting to a public gateway will not work.

Verify before relying:

- Current compatibility with recent go-IPFS versions beyond 0.7.0, given the package's abandoned status since 2021.
- Whether the package works reliably with Python 3.9+ despite classifiers only listing up to 3.8.
- Active community forks or maintained alternatives that may have superseded this library.

## Package facts

- License: MIT License (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 242.7K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

ipfs http client python, ipfs file storage api, distributed file system python, ipfs content addressing, ipfs daemon interaction, decentralized storage client, ipfs add retrieve files, ipfs, distributed-storage, abandoned

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