---
id: pystac-ext-file
version: "2.1.1"
license: Apache-2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# pystac-ext-file — File extension for PySTAC

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 4.0M/mo

## What it is and what it does

pystac-ext-file is a PySTAC extension package that implements the STAC File Info Extension specification (v2.1.0). It allows developers working with STAC catalogs to attach standardized file metadata to assets—including byte order, checksums, header size, and data type information. This is particularly useful when cataloging raster imagery or other file-based data where these properties are important for downstream processing or validation.

The package is a thin wrapper around the extension specification, designed to integrate seamlessly with PySTAC's asset and item models. It targets Python 3.10 and later, depends only on pystac-core, and is actively maintained by the STAC community. It carries no known security vulnerabilities and uses a permissive Apache-2.0 license.

Use it for:

- Add standardized file metadata (checksums, byte order) to raster imagery assets in a STAC catalog.
- Validate that file properties conform to the STAC File Info Extension v2.1.0 schema.
- Build STAC-compliant data catalogs where file-level details are required for reproducibility or data integrity checks.
- Extend existing PySTAC items with file metadata without manually managing extension fields.

## Worth the install?

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

Extends PySTAC to add File Info Extension support, enabling description of file metadata like byte order, checksum, header size, and data type for catalog assets.

Yes. The package is actively maintained, has no vulnerabilities, installs with minimal friction, and is licensed permissively. Install it if you are building or extending STAC catalogs and need to attach standardized file metadata to assets.

## Install

pip install pystac-ext-file
uv add pystac-ext-file
poetry add pystac-ext-file

## Installing pystac-ext-file

Before you install: Low friction install with a single runtime dependency (pystac-core). Active maintenance with a recent release (4 days old) and no known vulnerabilities.

License in practice: Apache-2.0 permissive license allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; suitable for most projects.

Quickstart:

pip install pystac-ext-file

from pystac_ext_file import FileExtension

# Use FileExtension to add file metadata to STAC assets
file_ext = FileExtension.ext(asset, add_if_missing=True)

Requires Python 3.10 or later.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package provides direct methods to read/write file checksums or if it only defines the schema structure.
- Whether it handles validation of file metadata against the v2.1.0 specification automatically.

## Package facts

- License: Apache-2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 4.0M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

STAC file metadata extension, PySTAC file info, asset file properties, STAC file checksum, raster file metadata, catalog file details, stac, metadata, geospatial

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