---
id: pytest-regex
version: "0.2.0"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# pytest-regex — Select pytest tests with regular expressions

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 112.8K/mo

## What it is and what it does

pytest-regex is a pytest plugin that extends test selection by allowing you to specify tests using Python regular expressions. Instead of pytest's `-k` flag (which does substring matching), you pass a `--regex` argument with a regex pattern that is matched against the full test node ID (e.g., `path/to/test_module.py::TestClass::test_name[parameter_value]`). Tests whose node IDs match the pattern are selected and run.

The plugin is useful when you need precise test selection that substring matching cannot easily express—for example, selecting only tests that end with exactly `test_3d` or choosing between similar test names. It was developed for use with large projects like SciPy where test discovery and selection can be complex. The package depends only on pytest and installs as a pure Python wheel with no compiled dependencies.

Use it for:

- Select tests by exact name suffix or prefix using anchored regex patterns (e.g., `.*test_3d$` to match only tests ending in `test_3d`)
- Filter tests across multiple modules or classes using a single regex pattern that matches the full node ID path
- Combine multiple test selection criteria in one regex that would be cumbersome or impossible with pytest's `-k` flag
- Run a subset of parametrized tests by matching parameter values embedded in the node ID

## Worth the install?

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

A pytest plugin that selects tests to run using Python regular expressions matched against test node IDs, offering finer control than pytest's built-in `-k` flag.

No. The package is abandoned (last release 2023-05-29, no commits since) and has minimal maintenance signal. While it solves a real problem—regex-based test selection—pytest's `-k` flag and other selection mechanisms are actively maintained and cover most use cases. Install only if you have a specific regex pattern requirement that `-k` cannot express and are willing to maintain a fork if needed.

## Install

pip install pytest-regex
uv add pytest-regex
poetry add pytest-regex

## Installing pytest-regex

Before you install: Low friction: pure Python wheel with only pytest as a runtime dependency. However, the package is abandoned—last release was 2023-05-29 and no commits since then—so expect no maintenance or bug fixes going forward.

License in practice: MIT license is permissive and imposes no restrictions on use, modification, or redistribution in your own projects.

Quickstart:

pip install pytest-regex
python -m pytest --regex "(.*test_3d$|.*test_3d_example$)"

Verify before relying:

- Whether the regex matching is applied to the full node ID or only specific parts of it
- Whether the plugin works with pytest parametrization and fixture combinations
- Performance impact when running against large test suites with complex regex patterns

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 112.8K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

pytest test selection regex, run tests by pattern matching, pytest node id filtering, regular expression test runner, pytest plugin test selection, match tests with regex, pytest advanced test filtering, pytest-plugin, test-selection, abandoned

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