---
id: pytest-pythonpath
version: "0.7.4"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# pytest-pythonpath — pytest plugin for adding to the PYTHONPATH from command line or configs.

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 265.6K/mo

## What it is and what it does

pytest-pythonpath is a pytest plugin that modifies the Python import path before tests run by reading path directives from pytest.ini. It allows you to specify directories to prepend to sys.path or process as site directories, enabling tests to import modules from custom locations without modifying PYTHONPATH manually.

However, this plugin is now obsolete. As of pytest 7.0.0, the same functionality is available natively via the `pythonpath` configuration option in pytest.ini, making this plugin unnecessary for any pytest version released since early 2022. The package is abandoned and receives no maintenance.

Use it for:

- Legacy projects still running pytest <7.0.0 that need to configure import paths via pytest.ini.
- Codebases with custom module layouts where sys.path manipulation is simpler than restructuring imports.
- Projects that cannot upgrade pytest and need a drop-in path configuration mechanism.

## Worth the install?

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

Adds directories to Python's import path before pytest runs, configured via pytest.ini—but this functionality is now built into pytest 7.0.0 and later.

No. If you are using pytest 7.0.0 or later (released January 2022), use pytest's native `pythonpath` config option instead. If you are stuck on an older pytest version, consider upgrading rather than adopting an abandoned plugin. There are no known security vulnerabilities, but the package receives no maintenance and its purpose is now redundant.

## Install

pip install pytest-pythonpath
uv add pytest-pythonpath
poetry add pytest-pythonpath

## Installing pytest-pythonpath

Before you install: Low install friction, but the package is abandoned as of March 2022 (1646 days without updates). Its core feature was integrated into pytest 7.0.0, making it obsolete for modern pytest versions.

License in practice: MIT license permits free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions—standard permissive terms.

Quickstart:

# Add to pytest.ini:
[pytest]
python_paths = your/path/apps your/path/libs

# Then run pytest normally:
pytest

Only works with pytest versions before 7.0.0; pytest 7.0.0+ has native pythonpath configuration built in.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the plugin still functions correctly with pytest 7.0.0+ despite being marked obsolete.
- Compatibility with Python versions beyond 3.10 (classifiers list 3.10 as highest, but requires_python allows <4).

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 265.6K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

pytest pythonpath configuration, add paths to sys.path pytest, pytest import path setup, pytest.ini python paths, pytest module search path, pytest custom import directories, pytest-plugin, obsolete

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/pytest-pythonpath) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/pytest-pythonpath/)