---
id: packaging
version: "26.3"
license: Apache-2.0 OR BSD-2-Clause
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# packaging — Core utilities for Python packages

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Popularity: top 100 on PyPI

## Install

pip install packaging
uv add packaging
poetry add packaging

## Description

packaging
=========

.. start-intro

Reusable core utilities for various Python Packaging
`interoperability specifications <https://packaging.python.org/specifications/>`_.

This library provides utilities that implement the interoperability
specifications which have clearly one correct behaviour (eg: :pep:`440`)
or benefit greatly from having a single shared implementation (eg: :pep:`425`).

.. end-intro

The ``packaging`` project includes the following: version handling, specifiers,
markers, requirements, tags, metadata, lockfiles, utilities.

Documentation
-------------

The `documentation`_ provides information and the API for the following:

- Version Handling
- Specifiers
- Markers
- Licenses
- Requirements
- Metadata
- Tags
- Lockfiles (pylock)
- Direct URL helpers
- Dependency groups
- Errors
- Utilities

Installation
------------

Use ``pip`` to install these utilities::

    pip install packaging

The ``packaging`` library uses calendar-based versioning (``YY.N``).

Discussion
----------

If you run into bugs, you can file them in our `issue tracker`_.

You can also join discussions on `GitHub Discussions`_ to ask questions or get involved.

.. _`documentation`:...

## AI interpretation — verify before relying

Provides reusable core utilities for Python packaging interoperability, including version handling, specifiers, markers, requirements, tags, metadata, and lockfile support as specified in PEPs like 440 and 425.

Verdict: A foundational, actively maintained library in the top 100 PyPI packages with zero vulnerabilities and no dependencies. Its permissive dual license and broad Python version support make it a low-risk choice for any project needing standards-compliant packaging utilities.

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/packaging) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/packaging/)