---
id: wagtail
version: "7.4.2"
license: BSD-3-Clause
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# wagtail — A Django content management system.

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 1.1M/mo

## What it is and what it does

Wagtail is a production-grade Django content management system designed for editorial teams and developers who need precise control over content structure and front-end design. It provides a web-based interface for authoring and publishing content, with built-in support for multiple sites, languages, images, and embedded media. The system uses StreamField to allow flexible content composition without sacrificing structure, and includes integrated search powered by Elasticsearch or PostgreSQL.

The package depends on 18 runtime libraries including Django, djangorestframework, Pillow for image handling, and several Django extensions for permissions, tagging, and tree structures. It runs on any platform from a Raspberry Pi to multi-datacenter cloud deployments, and offers both a traditional content API for headless deployments and a full editorial interface. Wagtail is actively maintained with feature releases every three months and designated Long Term Support releases for extended security updates.

Use it for:

- Build a multi-site editorial platform where different teams manage content across branded properties with shared infrastructure.
- Create a headless CMS serving content to decoupled front-end applications via REST API.
- Implement a structured content workflow with image management, version control, and multi-language support.
- Integrate content management into an existing Django application without replacing the entire framework.
- Deploy a scalable publishing platform with built-in search, caching, and performance optimization.

## Worth the install?

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

Wagtail is a Django-based content management system providing a web interface for creating, editing, and publishing content across single or multiple sites and languages.

Yes. Wagtail is a mature, actively maintained CMS with low install friction, permissive licensing, no known vulnerabilities, and strong community backing. Install it if you need a Django-native content management system with editorial workflows, multi-site support, and developer control over design. Skip it if you require a lightweight headless-only solution or prefer a non-Django stack.

## Install

pip install wagtail
uv add wagtail
poetry add wagtail

## Installing wagtail

Before you install: Low install friction with a pure Python wheel. Actively maintained with a release 60 days ago and 20444 repository stars. Requires Django 5.2.x or 6.0.x and Python 3.10 or later.

License in practice: BSD-3-Clause (permissive) allows free use, modification, and distribution in both open and closed-source projects without restriction.

Quickstart:

pip install wagtail
wagtail start mysite
cd mysite
pip install -r requirements.txt
python manage.py migrate
python manage.py createsuperuser
python manage.py runserver

Requires Python 3.10 or later and Django 5.2.x or 6.0.x; an existing Django project can integrate Wagtail but requires additional setup steps.

Verify before relying:

- Whether Elasticsearch integration is included or requires separate installation for advanced search.
- Performance characteristics when scaling to millions of pages as claimed in description.

## Package facts

- License: BSD-3-Clause (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 1.1M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

django cms, content management system, headless cms django, page builder django, multi-site content management, django wagtail, streamfield content, editorial workflow cms, cms, django-framework, editorial-workflow

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