---
id: wsgiref
version: "0.1.2"
license: PSF or ZPL
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# wsgiref — WSGI (PEP 333) Reference Library

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 154.3K/mo

## What it is and what it does

wsgiref is a standalone backport of the WSGI reference library for Python versions before 3.2, when wsgiref was integrated into the Python standard library. It provides validation support for the WSGI 1.0.1 specification (PEP 3333) and includes utility functions like wsgiref.util.test(). The package has no runtime dependencies and is distributed as Python 2.3/2.4 eggs or a zip archive.

This package is now obsolete: Python 3.2 and later versions include wsgiref as a built-in module, and Python 2.3 and 2.4 are long out of support. The package was last released 2006-06-12 and is abandoned, with no active maintenance or repository. It exists only for historical reference or for maintaining extremely legacy systems.

Use it for:

- Validating WSGI application compliance on Python 2.3 or 2.4 (historical only).
- Running the wsgiref.util.test() utility function on legacy Python versions before 3.2.
- Porting or maintaining code that explicitly depends on the standalone wsgiref backport.

## Worth the install?

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

Provides WSGI 1.0.1 (PEP 3333) validation support and utilities for Python versions before 3.2, when the library was not yet built into the standard library.

No. This package is abandoned (last release 2006-06-12) and obsolete: Python 3.2+ includes wsgiref in the standard library, and Python 2.3/2.4 are no longer supported. Modern projects should use the built-in wsgiref module. Install only if maintaining legacy code on unsupported Python versions.

## Install

pip install wsgiref
uv add wsgiref
poetry add wsgiref

## Installing wsgiref

Before you install: High install friction: the package is abandoned (last release 2006-06-12) and distributed only as Python 2.3/2.4 eggs and zip archives. Modern Python versions include wsgiref in the standard library, making this package obsolete for current development.

License in practice: Licensed under PSF or ZPL (permissive), so there are no licensing restrictions on use or redistribution, but the permissive terms are largely academic given the package's obsolescence.

Quickstart:

# For Python < 3.2 only:
import wsgiref.util
test_result = wsgiref.util.test()

This package is only relevant for Python 2.3 or 2.4. Modern Python versions include wsgiref in the standard library; installing this package is not necessary and not recommended for current projects.

Verify before relying:

- Whether this package works at all on any currently-maintained Python version.
- Whether the documented URLs (peak.telecommunity.com) for HTML and PDF documentation are still accessible.
- Whether Python 2.3 and 2.4 are still supported by any active systems.

## Package facts

- License: PSF or ZPL (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: high
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 154.3K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

wsgi validation library, pep 3333 reference implementation, wsgiref utilities, wsgi compliance checker, legacy python wsgi support, legacy, obsolete, wsgi

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