pytest-env
pytest plugin that allows you to add environment variables.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. This is a mature, actively maintained plugin (first released in 2015, latest in 2026) with no known vulnerabilities, low install friction, and a clear, focused purpose. It solves a real problem—managing test environment variables—in a standard, declarative way. The MIT license imposes no restrictions. Install it if you need to manage environment variables across test suites.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.10 or later.
- Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel.
- Actively maintained with a recent release; last commit was 24 days ago.
License · maintenance · safety
permissive license (permissive) — MIT License permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution with only attribution required. No restrictions on commercial or private use.
last release 2026-07-21 (24 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-10 · 233 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 24,043,458 downloads/mo, #928 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pytest-env
# Add to pyproject.toml:
# [tool.pytest_env]
# DATABASE_URL = "postgresql://localhost/test_db"
# DEBUG = "true"
# In test file:
import os
def test_example():
assert os.environ["DATABASE_URL"] == "postgresql://localhost/test_db"What it is and what it does
pytest-env is a pytest plugin that automatically injects environment variables into your test session from configuration files or .env files. It reads from pyproject.toml (under [tool.pytest_env]), pytest.toml, .pytest.toml, pytest.ini, or any .env file you specify, and makes those variables available to your tests via os.environ. The plugin supports variable expansion using existing environment variables, conditional assignment (skip if already set), and unsetting variables entirely.
The main use case is eliminating the need to manually set environment variables before running tests or hardcoding them in test files. You define test-specific configuration once in your project's config file, and the plugin ensures it's applied consistently across all test runs. It also supports per-directory configuration overrides, so integration tests can use different settings than unit tests by placing a pytest.toml in a subdirectory.
Use it for
- Set database connection strings or API endpoints for test suites without modifying shell environment or test code.
- Load secrets and credentials from .env files during test execution while keeping them out of version control.
- Override parent-level environment settings for specific test directories (e.g., integration tests vs. unit tests).
- Expand environment variables in config values using {VAR} placeholders to reference existing system or pytest-set variables.
- Debug environment variable assignments with --pytest-env-verbose to see exactly what was set and from which config file.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
This is a mature, actively maintained plugin (first released in 2015, latest in 2026) with no known vulnerabilities, low install friction, and a clear, focused purpose. It solves a real problem—managing test environment variables—in a standard, declarative way. The MIT license imposes no restrictions. Install it if you need to manage environment variables across test suites.
Install
pytest-env on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel. Actively maintained with a recent release; last commit was 24 days ago. Depends only on pytest, python-dotenv, and tomli—all stable, widely-used packages.
Requires Python 3.10 or later.
License in practice
MIT License permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution with only attribution required. No restrictions on commercial or private use.
Quickstart
pip install pytest-env
# Add to pyproject.toml:
# [tool.pytest_env]
# DATABASE_URL = "postgresql://localhost/test_db"
# DEBUG = "true"
# In test file:
import os
def test_example():
assert os.environ["DATABASE_URL"] == "postgresql://localhost/test_db"Package facts
| License | permissive license permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 3 packagespytestpython-dotenvtomli |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 24 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 24,043,458 / month, #928 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/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.15Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules |
Evidence: pytest_env-1.7.0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also pytest-dotenv · tempenv · python-decouple · poetry-dotenv-plugin · envsubst · dotenv · python-dotenv · pytest-pythonpath · maison · pytest-variables