sphinxcontrib-towncrier
An RST directive for injecting a Towncrier-generated changelog draft containing fragments for the unreleased (next) project version
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you use both Sphinx and Towncrier for your project. The extension solves a real integration gap and is actively maintained. However, note that it is still alpha-stage software (version 0.5.0a0), so expect potential API changes. Install it when you want unreleased changelog fragments visible in your documentation builds without manual duplication.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires towncrier to be pre-configured in your project's pyproject.toml; the extension reads towncrier's configuration from that file.
- Low install friction with only two runtime dependencies (sphinx and towncrier).
- Actively maintained with a recent release in February 2025 and ongoing repository activity.
License · maintenance · safety
BSD 3-Clause License (permissive) — BSD 3-Clause License is permissive, allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions beyond attribution and liability disclaimers.
last release 2025-02-28 (532 days) · last repo commit 2026-07-06 · 20 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 163,082 downloads/mo, #10,577 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install sphinxcontrib-towncrier
# In conf.py:
extensions = ['sphinxcontrib.towncrier.ext']
towncrier_draft_autoversion_mode = 'draft'
towncrier_draft_working_directory = PROJECT_ROOT_DIR
# In changelog.rst:
.. towncrier-draft-entries::- Whether the alpha version (0.5.0a0) is stable enough for production documentation builds.
- Performance characteristics when handling large numbers of changelog fragments.
- Compatibility with custom towncrier fragment types beyond the defaults.
What it is and what it does
sphinxcontrib-towncrier is a Sphinx extension that bridges Sphinx documentation builds with Towncrier, a changelog management tool. It provides an RST directive that automatically renders a draft changelog containing unreleased fragments into your documentation. The extension reads your project's towncrier configuration and injects the generated changelog at build time, allowing you to display work-in-progress release notes alongside your main documentation.
The package has two runtime dependencies: sphinx and towncrier. It supports Python 3.9 through 3.13 and is classified as alpha-stage software. The extension offers configurable version title generation modes (draft, sphinx-version, or sphinx-release) and allows you to override the title with custom text. It's used by projects like ansible/pylibssh and pypa/pip to keep changelog drafts visible during documentation builds.
Use it for
- Display unreleased changelog fragments in your project's documentation site during development.
- Automatically generate a draft release notes section in Sphinx docs without manual maintenance.
- Keep contributors and users informed of upcoming changes by embedding the towncrier draft in your docs.
- Integrate changelog management into your Sphinx build pipeline for single-source documentation.
- Override auto-generated version titles with custom release labels or status markers in the changelog.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you use both Sphinx and Towncrier for your project.
The extension solves a real integration gap and is actively maintained. However, note that it is still alpha-stage software (version 0.5.0a0), so expect potential API changes. Install it when you want unreleased changelog fragments visible in your documentation builds without manual duplication.
Install
sphinxcontrib-towncrier on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with only two runtime dependencies (sphinx and towncrier). Actively maintained with a recent release in February 2025 and ongoing repository activity.
Requires towncrier to be pre-configured in your project's pyproject.toml; the extension reads towncrier's configuration from that file.
License in practice
BSD 3-Clause License is permissive, allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions beyond attribution and liability disclaimers.
Quickstart
pip install sphinxcontrib-towncrier
# In conf.py:
extensions = ['sphinxcontrib.towncrier.ext']
towncrier_draft_autoversion_mode = 'draft'
towncrier_draft_working_directory = PROJECT_ROOT_DIR
# In changelog.rst:
.. towncrier-draft-entries::Verify before relying
- Whether the alpha version (0.5.0a0) is stable enough for production documentation builds.
- Performance characteristics when handling large numbers of changelog fragments.
- Compatibility with custom towncrier fragment types beyond the defaults.
Package facts
| License | BSD 3-Clause License permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.9 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 2 packagessphinxtowncrier |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 532 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 163,082 / month, #10,577 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 3 - AlphaFramework :: SphinxFramework :: Sphinx :: ExtensionIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: BSD LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Topic :: Documentation :: SphinxTopic :: Software Development :: DocumentationTopic :: System :: Software DistributionTopic :: Utilities |
Evidence: sphinxcontrib_towncrier-0.5.0a0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also changelog · towncrier · sphinxcontrib-video · sphinx_mdinclude · sphinxcontrib-youtube · sphinx-substitution-extensions · sphinxcontrib-typer · sphinx-panels · m2r2 · sphinxcontrib-programoutput