---
id: wait-for-it
version: "2.3.0"
license: unclear
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# wait-for-it — Wait for service(s) to be available before executing a command.

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 202.1K/mo

## What it is and what it does

wait-for-it is a lightweight CLI utility that polls TCP ports (or HTTPS endpoints) to detect when services are ready, then runs a command you specify. It's designed for scenarios where one service depends on another being up first—the canonical use case is Docker Compose or Kubernetes-style orchestration where containers start in an unpredictable order. The tool can test services serially (one after another) or in parallel, with a configurable timeout (default 15 seconds, or unlimited if set to 0), and returns the exit code of the command it executes.

You invoke it from the shell with `--service` flags naming each host:port to check, optionally `--parallel` to test them concurrently, and a `--` separator followed by the command to run once all services are available. It's a pure Python script with only click as a runtime dependency, making it quick to install and run in containers or CI/CD pipelines.

Use it for:

- Docker Compose entrypoint: wait for database and cache services to be ready before starting an application.
- Kubernetes init container: ensure dependent microservices are reachable before the main pod starts.
- CI/CD pipeline: delay test execution until all test infrastructure (mock servers, databases) is listening.
- Local development: coordinate startup of multiple services in a Makefile or shell script.
- Health-check orchestration: verify multiple endpoints are up before triggering a deployment step.

## Worth the install?

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

A command-line tool that waits for one or more TCP services to become available before executing a specified command, useful for coordinating startup of interdependent services.

Yes. It solves a common orchestration problem with minimal overhead, has no security vulnerabilities, is actively maintained, and carries a permissive license. Install it if you need to synchronize service startup in Docker, Kubernetes, or any shell-based workflow.

## Install

pip install wait-for-it
uv add wait-for-it
poetry add wait-for-it

## Installing wait-for-it

Before you install: Low install friction with a single runtime dependency (click). Actively maintained as of 2026-08-10 with recent releases, supporting modern Python versions 3.9 through 3.13.

License in practice: MIT license (permissive) means you can use, modify, and distribute this package with minimal restrictions, making it safe for both open-source and commercial projects.

Quickstart:

pip install wait-for-it

wait-for-it --service www.google.com:80 -- echo "service is up"

Requires Python 3.9 or later; TCP connectivity to the target service(s) is necessary for the tool to function.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the tool supports IPv6 addresses beyond the documented '[v6addr]:port' format syntax.
- Performance characteristics when testing many services in parallel mode.
- Whether HTTPS service checks perform full TLS validation or only connection establishment.

## Package facts

- License: not declared (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 202.1K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

wait for tcp service startup, docker container orchestration, service readiness check, port availability polling, wait for host port, service dependency synchronization, health check before command, service-orchestration, docker-compose, devops

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