pytest-pretty

What it is and what it does

pytest-pretty is a pytest plugin that enhances test output readability by replacing the default text format with rich-formatted tables and summaries. It displays a real-time one-line summary of which test has failed while tests are running, and after completion shows a table of all failures with both test line numbers and error line numbers—eliminating the need to scroll through verbose output to find what broke.

The plugin requires only pytest and rich as runtime dependencies, making it lightweight to add to existing projects. It works on Python 3.9 through 3.13 and includes a pytester_pretty fixture for testing pytest plugins themselves. The output is particularly useful in CI environments like GitHub Actions when the terminal width is configured appropriately.

Use it for:

• Quickly locate which test failed in a large test suite without scrolling through pages of output.
• Navigate directly to the failing test and error line using the failure table's line numbers.
• Improve readability of test summaries in CI/CD pipelines by enabling wider output formatting.
• Test pytest plugins themselves using the pytester_pretty fixture for cleaner test output.
• Make local development faster by reducing time spent parsing test failure messages.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

A pytest plugin that formats test output with rich tables and real-time error summaries to make failures easier to locate and fix.

Yes, if you run pytest regularly and want faster failure navigation. The low install friction, permissive license, and lack of security vulnerabilities make it safe to add. The aging maintenance status (436 days since last release) is a minor concern but not a blocker—the plugin is stable and the repository remains active. Install it if your test suites are large enough that output readability matters.

Install

pytest-pretty on PyPI

pip install pytest-pretty

uv add pytest-pretty

poetry add pytest-pretty

Installing pytest-pretty

Before you install

Low friction install with only two runtime dependencies (pytest and rich). Maintenance is aging—last release was 436 days ago—but the repository remains active with recent commits and no archived status.

License in practice

MIT license permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; suitable for most projects.

Quickstart

pip install pytest-pretty

Then run pytest normally; the plugin activates automatically:
pytest tests/

Requires Python >=3.9 and pytest to be installed.

Verify before relying

• Whether the plugin works correctly with pytest versions released after the last update 436 days ago.
• Performance impact on large test suites with hundreds or thousands of tests.

Package facts

Evidence: pytest_pretty-1.3.0-py3-none-any.whl

Tags

More Python Modules packages