---
id: pyinstaller-hooks-contrib
version: "2026.6"
license: unclear
license_treatment: unclear
maintenance: active
---

# pyinstaller-hooks-contrib — Community maintained hooks for PyInstaller

License: unclear · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 11.5M/mo

## What it is and what it does

PyInstaller-hooks-contrib is a repository of community-contributed hooks that teach PyInstaller how to handle third-party packages that don't bundle correctly on their own. When PyInstaller encounters a package, it doesn't automatically know about that package's data files, hidden imports, or special runtime setup—hooks fill that gap by specifying what should be included in the final bundled application. The package installs as a dependency alongside PyInstaller and is automatically discovered; hooks are applied without requiring explicit configuration.

Hooks come in two forms: standard hooks (which tell PyInstaller what to include in the bundle) and runtime hooks (which set up the environment when the bundled app starts). The repository collects hooks for many popular packages, allowing developers to use PyInstaller with libraries that would otherwise fail to bundle. If a package doesn't have a hook, either it works fine without one or the community hasn't contributed one yet.

Use it for:

- Bundle a Python application that uses a third-party library with data files or hidden imports that PyInstaller can't detect automatically.
- Create standalone executables from scripts that depend on packages known to have compatibility issues with PyInstaller.
- Contribute a hook for a package you maintain or use frequently to help other developers bundle applications with it.
- Ensure runtime environment setup (e.g., library paths, configuration) is correct when PyInstaller launches a bundled app.
- Maintain compatibility across multiple Python versions and platforms when distributing PyInstaller-based applications.

## Worth the install?

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

Provides community-maintained hooks that extend PyInstaller to bundle data files, hidden imports, and runtime configurations for packages that don't work out of the box with PyInstaller.

Yes. Install this automatically when you install PyInstaller (it's a dependency), or explicitly if you're bundling applications with packages that need hooks. The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and low install friction. The only caveat is the unclear license metadata—verify the actual license terms match your project's requirements before use.

## Install

pip install pyinstaller-hooks-contrib
uv add pyinstaller-hooks-contrib
poetry add pyinstaller-hooks-contrib

## Installing pyinstaller-hooks-contrib

Before you install: Low friction installation with only two lightweight runtime dependencies (importlib_metadata and packaging). Actively maintained with a recent release; last commit was 2026-08-10 and the project has 122 stars.

License in practice: License treatment is unclear—the package declares both Apache and GPL v2 classifiers but provides no explicit SPDX or raw license metadata. Verify the actual license terms before use in proprietary or restricted-license projects.

Quickstart:

pip install pyinstaller-hooks-contrib

# Hooks are automatically discovered by PyInstaller when installed
# Use PyInstaller normally; hooks for supported packages apply automatically
pyinstaller --onefile your_script.py

Requires Python 3.8 or later. Hooks only apply to packages for which they have been contributed; unsupported packages may still fail to bundle correctly.

Verify before relying:

- Whether all hooks are actively maintained and tested across current Python versions
- Coverage of which specific packages have hooks available and how complete those hooks are
- Whether the Apache and GPL v2 license declarations are both accurate or if one is the primary license

## Package facts

- License: not declared (unclear)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 11.5M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

pyinstaller hooks, pyinstaller data files, hidden imports pyinstaller, pyinstaller package support, bundle python packages, pyinstaller runtime hooks, pyinstaller compatibility, pyinstaller, bundling, packaging

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