---
id: pytest-astropy-header
version: "0.2.2"
license: BSD 3-Clause License
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# pytest-astropy-header — pytest plugin to add diagnostic information to the header of the test output

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 314.2K/mo

## What it is and what it does

pytest-astropy-header is a pytest plugin that injects diagnostic metadata into test output headers. When enabled, it displays the current date, platform, Python version, encoding details, and versions of selected dependencies before tests run. This helps developers and CI systems quickly understand the environment in which tests executed, making it easier to reproduce issues or debug environment-specific failures.

The plugin is designed primarily for Astropy-affiliated projects but works with any pytest-based test suite. It can be enabled via conftest.py or setup.cfg, and supports customization of which packages appear in the header and what additional text to append. The single runtime dependency is pytest itself, making installation straightforward.

Use it for:

- Include system and dependency versions in CI/CD test logs for reproducibility and debugging
- Display Python environment details in test output when running tests locally or in containers
- Customize which package versions appear in test headers for Astropy-related projects
- Append custom diagnostic text to pytest output headers for project-specific metadata

## Worth the install?

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

A pytest plugin that automatically includes system, Python, and dependency version information in test output headers, useful for diagnosing test environments across any project.

Yes, if you run pytest and need environment diagnostics in test output. The plugin is lightweight, has no complex dependencies, and is actively maintained. Install it when you want test logs to automatically capture system and package version context without manual logging code.

## Install

pip install pytest-astropy-header
uv add pytest-astropy-header
poetry add pytest-astropy-header

## Installing pytest-astropy-header

Before you install: Low friction installation as a pure-Python wheel with only pytest as a runtime dependency. Active maintenance with a recent commit on 2026-08-03, though the latest release was in 2022-09-06.

License in practice: BSD 3-Clause License (permissive) allows use in most projects without restriction, including commercial and proprietary software.

Quickstart:

pip install pytest-astropy-header

# In conftest.py:
def pytest_configure(config):
    config.option.astropy_header = True

Verify before relying:

- Whether the plugin works with pytest versions beyond those tested in the fact sheet
- Performance impact when displaying many custom package versions

## Package facts

- License: BSD 3-Clause License (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 314.2K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

pytest header diagnostic information, test output system information, pytest plugin version reporting, test environment diagnostics, pytest dependency versions display, astropy test header plugin, pytest configuration header, pytest-plugin, test-diagnostics, astropy-ecosystem

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