---
id: py-gfm
version: "2.0.0"
license: unclear
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# py-gfm — An implementation of Github-Flavored Markdown written as an extension to the Python Markdown library.

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 76.3K/mo

## What it is and what it does

py-gfm is a Python extension to the Markdown library that attempts to render GitHub-Flavored Markdown (GFM) to HTML. It implements common GFM features like fenced code blocks, tables, task lists, strikethrough, and hyperlink parsing across multiple protocols. The package is a pure Python implementation and therefore cannot achieve 100% byte-for-byte compatibility with GitHub's own rendering engine.

The maintainer has publicly stated that this library will not receive bug fixes and may become read-only. Known consistency issues exist between py-gfm's output and GitHub's rendering. The description explicitly recommends considering alternatives due to maintenance constraints.

Use it for:

- Convert GitHub-Flavored Markdown documents to HTML for display in web applications or static site generators.
- Parse and render task lists (TODO lists) embedded in Markdown content.
- Process Markdown with tables and strikethrough formatting in legacy projects.
- Extend existing Python Markdown workflows with GFM support when full GitHub compatibility is not required.

## Worth the install?

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

Converts GitHub-Flavored Markdown to HTML using Python's Markdown library as an extension, supporting tables, task lists, strikethrough, and fenced code blocks.

No. The package is abandoned and the maintainer explicitly states it will not receive bug fixes. Known consistency issues exist with GitHub's rendering. Only install py-gfm if you are maintaining legacy code that already depends on it and cannot migrate to an actively maintained alternative.

## Install

pip install py-gfm
uv add py-gfm
poetry add py-gfm

## Installing py-gfm

Before you install: Low install friction with a single dependency on markdown. However, the package is abandoned as of 2022-11-18 with no further bug fixes planned. The maintainer has explicitly stated the library will not receive bug fixes and may become read-only.

License in practice: Licensed under a permissive BSD-style license, so commercial and private use are unrestricted.

Quickstart:

pip install py-gfm
import markdown
from py_gfm import GithubFlavoredMarkdownExtension
md = markdown.Markdown(extensions=[GithubFlavoredMarkdownExtension()])
html = md.convert('# Hello\n\n| col1 | col2 |\n|------|------|\n| a    | b    |')

Requires Python 3.8 or later.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the known consistency issues with GitHub-Flavored Markdown rendering are acceptable for your specific use case.
- Whether Pygments is required or optional for code highlighting in code blocks.

## Package facts

- License: not declared (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 76.3K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

github flavored markdown python, gfm to html converter, markdown tables and task lists, github markdown parser, markdown extension python, fenced code blocks markdown, strikethrough markdown, abandoned, markdown-parser

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