pytest-deadfixtures
A simple plugin to list unused fixtures in pytest
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you maintain a pytest suite and want to identify fixture bloat. The plugin is stable, has no security vulnerabilities, and low install friction. The aging maintenance status (211 days since last release) is a minor concern but not a blocker—the package is not archived and works with modern Python versions. Use it as a periodic audit tool rather than a blocking CI gate.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low install friction with a single runtime dependency on pytest.
- Maintenance status is aging—last release was 211 days ago—but the repository is not archived and the package is marked Production/Stable.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — MIT license is permissive; you can use this package freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.
last release 2026-01-15 (211 days) · last repo commit 2026-01-15 · 166 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 1,021,674 downloads/mo, #4,490 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pytest-deadfixtures
# In your test directory, run:
pytest --dead-fixtures
# To find duplicates:
pytest --dup-fixtures- Whether the aging maintenance status (211 days since last release) affects compatibility with the latest pytest versions.
- How the duplicate detection handles fixtures with falsy return values, beyond the documented skip behavior.
What it is and what it does
pytest-deadfixtures is a pytest plugin that analyzes your test suite to report fixtures that are never used and fixtures that may be duplicated. It runs as a separate pytest invocation with command-line flags and does not execute your tests during analysis, making it suitable for CI pipelines when run after the main test suite.
The plugin offers three main features: listing unused fixtures with their location and docstring, identifying potentially duplicate fixtures by comparing return values, and ignoring specific fixtures via a @deadfixtures_ignore decorator. It's designed as a code-quality tool to help maintain lean test suites by surfacing fixture debt.
Use it for
- Audit an existing test suite to find fixtures defined but never referenced by any test.
- Detect duplicate fixture definitions that provide the same test data or setup, reducing maintenance burden.
- Integrate into CI to enforce fixture hygiene by running --dead-fixtures after the main test suite passes.
- Mark intentionally unused fixtures with @deadfixtures_ignore to exclude them from reports without removing them.
- Review fixture usage patterns with verbose output to understand which fixtures are actually exercised.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you maintain a pytest suite and want to identify fixture bloat.
The plugin is stable, has no security vulnerabilities, and low install friction. The aging maintenance status (211 days since last release) is a minor concern but not a blocker—the package is not archived and works with modern Python versions. Use it as a periodic audit tool rather than a blocking CI gate.
Install
pytest-deadfixtures on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with a single runtime dependency on pytest. Maintenance status is aging—last release was 211 days ago—but the repository is not archived and the package is marked Production/Stable.
License in practice
MIT license is permissive; you can use this package freely in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install pytest-deadfixtures
# In your test directory, run:
pytest --dead-fixtures
# To find duplicates:
pytest --dup-fixturesVerify before relying
- Whether the aging maintenance status (211 days since last release) affects compatibility with the latest pytest versions.
- How the duplicate detection handles fixtures with falsy return values, beyond the documented skip behavior.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packagepytest |
| Maintenance | Aging 211 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 1,021,674 / month, #4,490 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableFramework :: PytestIntended Audience :: DevelopersOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyTopic :: Software Development :: Testing |
Evidence: pytest_deadfixtures-3.1.0-py2.py3-none-any.whl
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See also fixtures · pytest-unused-fixtures · pytest-lazy-fixtures · pytest-plus · pytest-redis · vulture · pytest-print · pytest-custom-exit-code · pytest-rabbitmq · pytest-docker