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The fix is to make the WSGI target match the module and object your code actually exports. For a direct Flask instance, use a target such as gunicorn myapp:app. For an application factory, use gunicorn 'myapp:create_app()'. If the target looks correct, read the first traceback failure: a circular import, a module-name collision, or an exception during startup may have prevented app from being created.
What “cannot import name app” means
A WSGI server imports a Python module, then looks for the name after the colon in its target. In gunicorn package.wsgi:app, it imports package.wsgi and expects that module to expose an object named app. The error means Python found the module but could not provide that attribute. Usually, either the target names the wrong object or module initialization stopped before the object was assigned.
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This differs from ModuleNotFoundError. A missing-module error means Python could not locate the module at all. “Cannot import name app” generally means the module was located, but the requested name is absent, misspelled, conditionally created, or never reached because another import failed first.
Flask itself is a WSGI application: a WSGI server calls the Flask object after the application has finished setup. A production command therefore imports an object or factory; it does not run the local development workflow for you.
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Use this diagnostic order
- Read the first traceback failure. Scroll to the earliest exception, not merely the final import line. A syntax error, missing dependency, configuration exception, or database connection failure earlier in the traceback can leave the module only partially initialized.
- Write down the exact target. Separate the module (left of
:) from the exported name (right of:). Formyapp.wsgi:application, those aremyapp.wsgiandapplication. - Open the target module and verify the name. Look for a top-level assignment such as
app = Flask(__name__), or for a factory namedcreate_app. Case and spelling matter. - Test the import in the same environment. Activate the virtual environment and run the import from the same directory used by the process manager. For example:
python -c "from myapp import app; print(app)"
python -c "from myapp.wsgi import application; print(application)"If either command fails, the problem is in Python imports or application initialization rather than in Gunicorn’s worker settings.
- Check the working directory and Python path. A command launched from the project’s parent directory may need a fully qualified package path. A service launched from another directory may not see your source tree unless the package is installed or the correct path is configured.
- Look for name collisions. A file named
flask.pycan shadow the Flask package. Files or directories named like your application package can likewise cause Python to import the wrong module. - Inspect imports that run during startup. A circular import can leave a module “partially initialized.” Move route or blueprint imports until after the Flask object exists, or switch to an application-factory layout.
Match the WSGI target to your application pattern
| Application shape | Example export | Correct target | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct instance in a module | myapp.py contains app = Flask(__name__) |
myapp:app |
Small applications or code that creates one global instance. |
| Direct instance in a package | myapp/__init__.py contains app = Flask(__name__) |
myapp:app |
A package layout that still exposes one global instance. |
| Application factory | myapp/__init__.py defines create_app() |
myapp:create_app() |
Multiple configurations, tests, reusable extensions, or larger projects. |
| Explicit WSGI shim | wsgi.py assigns application = create_app() |
wsgi:application |
Platforms or teams that prefer a conventional, unambiguous entry module. |
The filename does not determine the exported object. A file called wsgi.py can expose application, app, or something else; the target must name the variable that really exists.
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Fix a direct Flask instance
Minimal module
Put the instance at module level so the WSGI server can import it without executing a development server:
from flask import Flask
app = Flask(__name__)
@app.get('/')
def index():
return {'status': 'ok'}
if __name__ == '__main__':
app.run(debug=True)For a file named myapp.py, start it with:
gunicorn myapp:appFor local Flask development, the equivalent is:
flask --app myapp runDo not put the app = Flask(__name__) assignment inside the if __name__ == '__main__' block. A WSGI server imports the module, so that block is not executed during import and no app would be exported.
Common direct-instance mismatches
- If the variable is named
application, usegunicorn myapp:application, notmyapp:app. - If the file is inside a package, include the package path:
gunicorn myapp.server:app, not merelygunicorn server:appwhen the process starts outside that package directory. - If the instance is created by a function, it is not a direct-instance target. Use the factory syntax described below.
- If importing the module starts a server, opens a socket, or performs other one-time work, move that code behind the
__main__guard or into controlled startup code.
Fix an application-factory target
Factory implementation
An application factory returns a newly configured Flask instance. A typical package looks like this:
myapp/
__init__.py
views.py# myapp/__init__.py
from flask import Flask
def create_app():
app = Flask(__name__)
app.config.from_mapping(
SECRET_KEY='change-this-in-production'
)
from .views import bp
app.register_blueprint(bp)
return app# myapp/views.py
from flask import Blueprint
bp = Blueprint('main', __name__)
@bp.get('/')
def index():
return {'status': 'ok'}The production target must call the factory:
gunicorn 'myapp:create_app()'The Flask command-line interface accepts the same form:
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flask --app 'myapp:create_app()' runQuoting the target is useful in shells that treat parentheses specially. The parentheses are significant: myapp:create_app refers to the function object, while myapp:create_app() tells the loader to call it and use the returned Flask application.
Why the blueprint import is delayed
The factory creates app before importing .views. That order prevents a route module from importing the package while the package is still creating itself. If views.py imports app from myapp at module import time, Python can encounter a partially initialized package and report that it cannot import the name.
For larger projects, extensions can be created without an application and initialized inside the factory:
# extensions.py
from flask_sqlalchemy import SQLAlchemy
db = SQLAlchemy()# myapp/__init__.py
from flask import Flask
from .extensions import db
def create_app():
app = Flask(__name__)
app.config.from_object('myapp.config')
db.init_app(app)
return appThis pattern lets tests create separate configured applications and reduces pressure to import a global app instance into every module.
Use an explicit wsgi.py shim when deployment expects one
A shim gives the process manager a stable module and a plainly named callable:
# wsgi.py
from myapp import create_app
application = create_app()Point the server at the name you assigned:
gunicorn wsgi:applicationIf you instead write app = create_app(), the target is wsgi:app. Do not assume that a platform’s default target will discover your preferred variable. Check its entry-point setting and change either the setting or the exported name so they agree.
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A shim is also useful when the package needs arguments, environment setup, or imports that you do not want to place in the package’s public namespace. Keep it deterministic: importing wsgi.py should finish application setup and expose the callable without launching a development server.
Break circular imports and “partially initialized module” errors
The failure pattern
A common cycle looks like this:
# myapp/__init__.py
from flask import Flask
from .routes import bp
app = Flask(__name__)
app.register_blueprint(bp)# myapp/routes.py
from myapp import app
from flask import Blueprint
bp = Blueprint('main', __name__)Importing myapp starts executing __init__.py, which imports routes.py. The route module then asks for app before the assignment has executed. Python sees a real package, but it is only partially initialized, so the requested name is unavailable.
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Create the application first, then import and register routes:
from flask import Flask
def create_app():
app = Flask(__name__)
from .routes import bp
app.register_blueprint(bp)
return appWhen using a direct global instance, defining app before importing modules that depend on it can remove a simple cycle, but the factory pattern is usually safer as the project grows.
Use current_app inside an application context
Code that needs configuration or services at request time should often use Flask’s context-local proxy rather than importing the global instance:
from flask import current_app
def configured_value():
return current_app.config['FEATURE_FLAG']This function must run during a request, CLI command, or an explicit application context. Calling it in a plain script without a context produces a different “working outside of application context” error. For startup code that must run before requests, perform it inside the factory after configuration is loaded.
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Check imports in both directions
- Route modules should not import a global app merely to register a route.
- Configuration modules should not import route modules.
- Shared helpers should depend on interfaces or context proxies, not on the module that creates the app.
- Blueprint registration should happen after the Flask object exists.
Understand Flask CLI discovery
Flask’s CLI accepts a dotted module path and, optionally, a variable or factory. Examples include flask --app myapp run, flask --app myapp:application run, and flask --app 'myapp:create_app()' run. When --app is omitted, Flask can automatically look for modules such as app or wsgi and documented names such as app, application, create_app, or make_app.
Automatic discovery is convenient for development but can conceal an incorrect production target. Make the module and exported object explicit in deployment configuration. Also avoid naming your own file flask.py; that name can cause an import of your file when code intends to import the Flask package.
Verify the process manager’s environment
Working directory
Relative imports and package discovery depend on where the process starts. Run the command from the project directory first:
cd /path/to/project
python -c "import myapp; print(myapp.__file__)"
gunicorn myapp:appThe printed path should be the file you expect, not a second checkout, an old installed copy, or a same-named module elsewhere on the path.
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Use the same Python environment for the diagnostic import and the production process. A shell may find Flask in one virtual environment while a service manager launches another interpreter. Check the executable used by the process configuration and run:
python -c "import sys, flask; print(sys.executable); print(flask.__file__)"If your package is not installed, ensure the service’s working directory or Python path includes the project. A fully qualified target such as company_project.myapp:app is preferable to relying on an accidental current-directory import.
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Environment variables and startup configuration
A module may create app only after reading a required environment variable. Missing configuration can therefore surface as an import error even though the target is correct. Set required variables in the service environment, then repeat the plain Python import test. Do not hide configuration failures with a broad try/except ImportError; that can turn the original, useful traceback into a misleading missing-name message.
Keep development startup separate from WSGI import
Use the development server only under a main guard:
if __name__ == '__main__':
app.run(debug=True)When Gunicorn or another WSGI server imports the module, the guarded block is skipped. The server then owns sockets, workers, reloading, and request handling. Starting app.run() during import can block the loader, create duplicate processes, or make a deployment appear to hang rather than report the real exported object.
Complete configuration, extension initialization, and route registration before the first request. Flask’s lifecycle guidance requires setup to finish before a worker begins serving traffic; changing routes or configuration after requests have started can produce inconsistent workers.
Read the error by symptom
| Symptom | Likely cause | Correction |
|---|---|---|
cannot import name 'app' from 'myapp' |
The target asks for app, but the module exports another name or has not reached the assignment. |
Rename the export or change the target to the actual variable; then inspect earlier traceback lines. |
cannot import name 'app' from partially initialized module |
Circular import during package startup. | Create the Flask object before importing routes, delay blueprint imports, and use current_app where an application context is available. |
No module named myapp |
Wrong working directory, package path, interpreter, or installation. | Run from the project root, use the full dotted path, or install the package in the active environment. |
| The import works in a shell but not under the service | Different user, virtual environment, current directory, or environment variables. | Compare the service’s executable, working directory, Python path, and environment with the successful shell test. |
| The server starts but serves no routes | Blueprints were never registered, or a factory was passed without being called. | Register blueprints in the factory and use module:create_app(), not merely module:create_app. |
| Import launches the development server or hangs | app.run() executes at module import time. |
Put it under if __name__ == '__main__': and let the WSGI server manage production startup. |
Choose between a direct instance, factory, and shim
| Decision factor | Direct instance | Factory | WSGI shim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small single-configuration app | Shortest setup; module:app is clear. |
More structure than necessary unless tests already need it. | Optional extra file. |
| Multiple configurations or test apps | Global state can leak between tests. | Strong fit; each call can create an isolated app. | Can expose one selected factory result to a platform. |
| Circular-import risk | Increases as modules import the global instance. | Lower when routes are imported after creation. | Depends on how the shim and package imports are arranged. |
| Deployment clarity | Requires every operator to know the module and variable. | Explicit callable syntax documents the lifecycle. | One conventional entry point, useful when a host expects wsgi.py. |
There is no need to convert a small, working direct-instance application solely to resolve this error. First make its target accurate. Adopt a factory when configuration isolation, testing, extension initialization, or import boundaries justify it.
Production deployment checklist
- Confirm the application is a WSGI callable, not a coroutine, route function, or development-server command.
- Confirm the target’s module path and exported name match exactly.
- For factories, include parentheses in the target and quote the command when the shell requires it.
- Run a plain Python import using the same interpreter, user, working directory, and environment as the service.
- Ensure the package is installed or discoverable on the service’s Python path.
- Remove files named
flask.pyor other modules that shadow dependencies. - Register blueprints after app creation and eliminate imports that reach back into a partially initialized package.
- Use
current_appfor context-dependent code instead of importing the global app everywhere. - Keep
app.run()behind the main guard and use a dedicated WSGI server or hosting platform for production. - Make all configuration and route setup complete before workers begin handling requests.
Quick reference commands
Direct instance in myapp.py
gunicorn myapp:app
flask --app myapp runFactory in myapp/__init__.py
gunicorn 'myapp:create_app()'
flask --app 'myapp:create_app()' runExplicit shim
# wsgi.py exports application
gunicorn wsgi:applicationRemove the leading space before gunicorn if you copy the last command; it is shown only as ordinary code text here. The decisive check in every case is the same: import the module, verify the exported name, and fix the first initialization failure in the traceback.
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