urllib3
HTTP library with thread-safe connection pooling, file post, and more.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. urllib3 is a mature, actively maintained library with no known vulnerabilities, permissive licensing, zero runtime dependencies, and low install friction. It is the de facto standard for HTTP pooling in Python and is used throughout the ecosystem. Install it directly if you need fine-grained HTTP control, or rely on it indirectly through requests or other higher-level clients.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.10 or later.
- Installation is straightforward with low friction.
- The package is actively maintained with a last commit on 2026-08-10 and has a 15+ year track record of security and code standards.
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — Licensed under MIT (permissive), allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions.
last release 2026-05-07 (99 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-10 · 4,049 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 1,843,477,278 downloads/mo, #5 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
import urllib3
http = urllib3.PoolManager()
resp = http.request('GET', 'http://httpbin.org/robots.txt')
print(resp.status)
print(resp.data)What it is and what it does
urllib3 is a foundational HTTP client library for Python that fills gaps left by the standard library. It provides thread-safe connection pooling to reuse TCP connections efficiently, client-side SSL/TLS certificate verification, and built-in support for gzip, deflate, brotli, and zstd compression. The library handles multipart file uploads, automatic request retries, HTTP redirects, and proxy support for both HTTP and SOCKS protocols.
The package is widely embedded throughout the Python ecosystem and is maintained by a long-standing team with a 15+ year history of prioritizing security and code quality. It requires Python 3.10 or later and has no runtime dependencies, making it lightweight to integrate into existing projects. Most developers use urllib3 indirectly through higher-level libraries, but it can also be used directly for fine-grained HTTP control.
Use it for
- Building HTTP clients that need connection pooling and thread safety for concurrent requests.
- Uploading files with multipart encoding in web applications or API clients.
- Implementing retry logic and redirect handling for resilient API integrations.
- Working through HTTP or SOCKS proxies in restricted network environments.
- Verifying SSL/TLS certificates on the client side for secure HTTPS connections.
- Handling compressed HTTP responses with multiple encoding formats.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
urllib3 is a mature, actively maintained library with no known vulnerabilities, permissive licensing, zero runtime dependencies, and low install friction. It is the de facto standard for HTTP pooling in Python and is used throughout the ecosystem. Install it directly if you need fine-grained HTTP control, or rely on it indirectly through requests or other higher-level clients.
Install
urllib3 on PyPI
Before you install
Installation is straightforward with low friction. The package is actively maintained with a last commit on 2026-08-10 and has a 15+ year track record of security and code standards.
Requires Python 3.10 or later.
License in practice
Licensed under MIT (permissive), allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
import urllib3
http = urllib3.PoolManager()
resp = http.request('GET', 'http://httpbin.org/robots.txt')
print(resp.status)
print(resp.data)Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 99 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 1,843,477,278 / month, #5 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Environment :: Web EnvironmentIntended Audience :: DevelopersOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: OnlyProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: Free Threading :: 2 - BetaProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyTopic :: Internet :: WWW/HTTPTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries |
Evidence: urllib3-2.7.0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also apiclient · requests-toolbelt · requestsexceptions · urllib3-future · urllib3-secure-extra · github3.py · pycurl · httpcore · ndg-httpsclient