The Tool Desk
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Poetry helps Python developers declare dependencies, create repeatable environments, and package libraries. It does not install Python itself: install or select a Python interpreter separately. Poetry’s current documentation requires Python 3.10 or newer to run Poetry; check the official documentation for the current requirement and setup guidance.
1. Install Poetry and choose a Python interpreter
Poetry describes itself as “a tool for dependency management and packaging in Python.” It manages a project’s dependencies and packaging workflow, while the interpreter that runs your code remains a separate prerequisite.
The official installation documentation supports pipx, Poetry’s installer, and manual installation. These are alternatives rather than mandatory steps in a single sequence; choose based on how much isolation and installation control you need. For continuous-integration environments, Poetry recommends considering pipx or manual installation. If a pipeline runs the installer script, pin or otherwise maintain that script so you control what code the pipeline executes.
After installing Poetry, make sure the project’s Python interpreter is available. When creating or configuring a project, select the interpreter you intend to use; installing Poetry alone does not provide it. See the official installation documentation for supported installation methods and the current Python requirement.
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2. Create a project or inspect its configuration
Poetry stores project configuration in pyproject.toml. Start a new project with poetry new my-project, or move into an existing project directory and use poetry init to create its configuration interactively. To set or change the interpreter for a project, use poetry env use with the interpreter executable or path available on your machine.
Poetry 2.x supports the standardized PEP 621 [project] table for core metadata and dependencies. For example:
[project]
name = "my-project"
version = "0.1.0"
description = "A short project description"
requires-python = ">=3.10"
dependencies = [
"requests >=2.31,<3.0",
]Poetry-specific settings can still be expressed under [tool.poetry] where needed. Older tutorials often place dependencies only in [tool.poetry.dependencies]; that remains a Poetry-specific configuration style, but it is not the only current option. Consult Poetry’s dependency specification when choosing fields, especially if you need Poetry-specific features or are adapting an existing project. You do not need to migrate a working project merely because a newer format is available.
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Run poetry install from the project directory. Poetry reads pyproject.toml and installs the project’s dependencies. If no poetry.lock exists, Poetry resolves versions and creates one. If a lockfile is already present, installation uses the exact resolved versions recorded there.
For an application, commit poetry.lock to version control. Developers, CI, and production can then install from the same resolution instead of independently choosing versions that happen to satisfy the declared constraints. The lockfile complements rather than replaces pyproject.toml: the project file expresses the allowed dependency requirements, while the lockfile records a particular resolution.
To add a package, use poetry add package-name. This adds the dependency to the project configuration and updates the lockfile. Use poetry update when you want to refresh resolved versions within the constraints already declared. Updating does not change those declared constraints. If the project should allow a different range, change the dependency requirement in the project configuration instead.
4. Organize development dependencies and synchronize environments
Dependency groups let you label packages by purpose, such as testing, linting, or documentation. A group named test can be declared in pyproject.toml and installed with the project’s default groups; non-optional groups install by default. Mark a group optional when it should only be installed on request, then select it with an option such as poetry install --with docs. Use the dependency management guide for the current group syntax and selection options.
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Groups organize dependencies for development and installation. They are not a way to declare optional runtime features for users of a library. For runtime options that consumers may choose, use package extras and the relevant dependency metadata instead.
Choose between poetry install and poetry sync based on the state you want:
poetry installinstalls the project’s locked dependencies but can leave unrelated packages already present in the environment.poetry syncaligns the environment with the selected locked dependencies and removes packages outside that set. This is useful when you want a clean environment that matches the lockfile and selected groups.
Check the CLI reference for current command options before scripting group selection or synchronization.
5. Decide whether your project should commit a lockfile
Applications
An application owns the environment in which it runs, so reproducibility across development, CI, and deployment is usually important. Commit its lockfile and use it when installing the application’s dependencies.
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A library’s lockfile governs the environment used to develop and test that library; it does not pin versions for downstream applications. Consumers resolve the library’s declared dependency constraints in the context of their own projects. Committing the lockfile is optional for a library, though a team may find it useful for testing against a stable dependency set. Poetry’s library documentation explains the distinction.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.6. Build and publish a library when it is ready
Publishing is relevant to a library intended for distribution, not a required step for every Python application. A library’s pyproject.toml should define a PEP 517 build system using poetry-core, along with the package metadata and dependency declarations needed by build and installation tools.
Build distribution files with poetry build. Poetry creates a source distribution and a wheel. Once the metadata and repository configuration are in place, poetry publish uploads the built artifacts to the configured package repository. Review the official library packaging guide and CLI reference for configuration details and current options; building files locally does not itself publish them.
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