---
id: python-heatclient
version: "5.2.0"
license: unclear
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# python-heatclient — OpenStack Orchestration API Client Library

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 220.6K/mo

## What it is and what it does

python-heatclient is a Python library and command-line interface for the OpenStack Heat orchestration service. It provides both a programmatic API (the heatclient module) and a CLI tool (heat command) for creating, updating, and managing infrastructure stacks defined in Heat templates. The package wraps the Heat orchestration API, abstracting away HTTP details and providing Pythonic access to stack operations.

The library integrates with the broader OpenStack ecosystem through keystoneauth1 for authentication, cliff for CLI framework, and oslo libraries for serialization and utilities. It supports modern Python versions (3.10 through 3.13) and is maintained as part of the official OpenStack project. Installation is straightforward via pip with no compiled dependencies, making it suitable for both local development and server-side automation.

Use it for:

- Deploy and manage infrastructure stacks programmatically from Python applications using Heat templates.
- Automate stack lifecycle operations (create, update, delete) in CI/CD pipelines targeting OpenStack clouds.
- Query stack status, outputs, and resource details from command-line scripts or monitoring systems.
- Integrate Heat orchestration into larger infrastructure-as-code workflows alongside other OpenStack services.
- Develop custom tooling that extends Heat functionality by building on the client library's Python API.

## Worth the install?

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

Python client library and command-line tool for interacting with OpenStack Heat orchestration services, enabling programmatic stack management and template deployment.

Yes, if you are working with OpenStack Heat orchestration. The package is actively maintained, has low install friction, carries permissive licensing, and integrates cleanly with the OpenStack ecosystem. It is production-stable and suitable for both CLI automation and programmatic stack management. Not relevant for non-OpenStack environments.

## Install

pip install python-heatclient
uv add python-heatclient
poetry add python-heatclient

## Installing python-heatclient

Before you install: Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel distribution. Active maintenance status as of 88 days ago. Depends on 12 runtime packages including keystoneauth1 for authentication and cliff for CLI framework, all standard OpenStack ecosystem components.

License in practice: Licensed under Apache (permissive treatment), meaning you can use, modify, and distribute this package with minimal legal restriction, typical for OpenStack projects.

Quickstart:

pip install python-heatclient

from heatclient import client
from keystoneauth1 import session
from keystoneauth1.identity import v3

auth = v3.Password(auth_url='...', username='...', password='...', project_name='...', user_domain_name='...', project_domain_name='...')
sess = session.Session(auth=auth)
heat = client.Client('1', session=sess, endpoint='...')

Requires OpenStack Heat service endpoint and valid Keystone authentication credentials; Python >= 3.10.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package supports all current OpenStack API versions or only specific Heat API versions.
- Compatibility with non-Keystone authentication methods or custom identity providers.
- Performance characteristics when managing large numbers of stacks or templates.

## Package facts

- License: not declared (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 220.6K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

openstack heat client, orchestration api python, heat stack management, openstack cli tool, infrastructure as code client, heat template deployment, openstack automation, openstack, orchestration, infrastructure-as-code

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