---
id: sphinx-hoverxref
version: "1.4.2"
license: unclear
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# sphinx-hoverxref — Sphinx extension to show tooltips with content embedded when hover a reference.

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 85.8K/mo

## What it is and what it does

sphinx-hoverxref is a Sphinx documentation extension that enhances cross-references by showing tooltips containing the content of the linked section when users hover over them. This improves documentation navigation by allowing readers to preview linked content without leaving the current page.

The extension integrates directly into Sphinx's build process and requires only sphinx and sphinxcontrib-jquery as runtime dependencies. Configuration is minimal—just adding 'hoverxref.extension' to the extensions list in conf.py. However, the project repository is archived and abandoned, meaning no active maintenance or updates are occurring.

Use it for:

- Add hover previews to API documentation cross-references so readers can see function signatures without navigating away.
- Enhance glossary links in technical documentation with inline term definitions visible on hover.
- Improve internal documentation navigation by showing section summaries when hovering over table-of-contents links.
- Create better user experience in large documentation sites where readers frequently jump between related sections.

## Worth the install?

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

Sphinx extension that displays tooltips with linked section content when hovering over cross-references in documentation.

Yes, if your Sphinx documentation build is stable and you need hover tooltips on cross-references. The extension has low install friction and permissive licensing. However, exercise caution: the repository is archived and abandoned, so no bug fixes or compatibility updates will be released. Test thoroughly with your current Sphinx version before relying on it in production documentation.

## Install

pip install sphinx-hoverxref
uv add sphinx-hoverxref
poetry add sphinx-hoverxref

## Installing sphinx-hoverxref

Before you install: Low install friction with only two runtime dependencies (sphinx and sphinxcontrib-jquery). However, the repository is archived and marked abandoned as of the fact sheet date, with no releases since 2024-11-18.

License in practice: Licensed under MIT (permissive), which allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install sphinx-hoverxref

Then add to conf.py:
extensions = ['hoverxref.extension']

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package remains compatible with current Sphinx versions despite being archived.
- Whether sphinxcontrib-jquery is still maintained and compatible with modern Sphinx releases.
- Whether the tooltip functionality works reliably across modern browsers and Sphinx themes.

## Package facts

- License: not declared (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 85.8K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

sphinx tooltip hover extension, documentation cross-reference tooltips, sphinx hover preview, inline documentation popover, sphinx xref hover content, documentation link preview, sphinx extension tooltips, sphinx-extension, documentation-ui, archived

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