This is the documentation for the NEW Python handler.
To read the documentation for the LEGACY handler, go to the legacy handler documentation.
Installation¤You can install this handler as a mkdocstrings extra:
pyproject.toml# PEP 621 dependencies declaration
# adapt to your dependencies manager
[project]
dependencies = [
"mkdocstrings[python]>=0.18",
]
You can also explicitly depend on the handler:
pyproject.toml# PEP 621 dependencies declaration
# adapt to your dependencies manager
[project]
dependencies = [
"mkdocstrings-python",
]
The Python handler is the default mkdocstrings handler. You can change the default handler, or explicitely set the Python handler as default by defining the default_handler
configuration option of mkdocstrings
in mkdocs.yml
:
plugins:
- mkdocstrings:
default_handler: python
Injecting documentation¤
With the Python handler installed and configured as default handler, you can inject documentation for a module, class, function, or any other Python object with mkdocstrings' autodoc syntax, in your Markdown pages:
If another handler was defined as default handler, you can explicitely ask for the Python handler to be used when injecting documentation with the handler
option:
::: path.to.object
handler: python
Configuration¤
When installed, the Python handler becomes the default mkdocstrings handler. You can configure it in mkdocs.yml
:
plugins:
- mkdocstrings:
handlers:
python:
... # the Python handler configuration
Global-only options¤
Some options are global only, and go directly under the handler's name.
inventories
¤
This option is used to load Sphinx-compatible objects inventories from other documentation sites. For example, you can load the standard library objects inventory like this:
mkdocs.ymlplugins:
- mkdocstrings:
handlers:
python:
inventories:
- https://docs.python.org/3/objects.inv
When loading an inventory, you enable automatic cross-references to other documentation sites like the standard library docs or any third-party package docs. Typically, you want to load the inventories of your project's dependencies, at least those that are used in the public API.
See mkdocstrings' documentation on inventories for more details.
Additionally, the Python handler accepts a domains
option in the inventory options, which allows to select the inventory domains to load. By default the Python handler only selects the py
domain (for Python objects). You might find useful to also enable the std
domain:
plugins:
- mkdocstrings:
handlers:
python:
inventories:
- url: https://docs.python-requests.org/en/master/objects.inv
domains: [std, py]
load_external_modules
¤
This option allows resolving aliases (imports) to any external module. Modules are considered external when they are not part of the package your are injecting documentation for. Setting this option to True
will tell the handler to resolve aliases recursively when they are made public through the __all__
variable. By default, the handler will only resolve aliases when they point at a private sibling of the source package, for example aliases going from ast
to _ast
. Set load_external_modules
to False
to prevent even that.
Use with caution
This can load a lot of modules through Griffe, slowing down your build or triggering errors that Griffe does not yet handle. We recommend using the preload_modules
option instead, which acts as an include-list rather than as include-all.
Example:
mkdocs.ymlplugins:
- mkdocstrings:
handlers:
python:
load_external_modules: true
~~locale
~~¤
Deprecated. Use mkdocstrings' own locale
setting.
~~The locale to use when translating template strings.~~
paths
¤
This option is used to provide filesystem paths in which to search for Python modules. Non-absolute paths are computed as relative to MkDocs configuration file. Example:
mkdocs.ymlplugins:
- mkdocstrings:
handlers:
python:
paths: [src] # search packages in the src folder
More details at Finding modules.
Global/local options¤The other options can be used both globally and locally, under the options
key. For example, globally:
plugins:
- mkdocstrings:
handlers:
python:
options:
do_something: true
...and locally, overriding the global configuration:
docs/some_page.md::: package.module.class
options:
do_something: false
These options affect how the documentation is collected from sources and rendered. See the following tables summarizing the options, and get more details for each option in the following pages:
There are multiple ways to tell the handler where to find your packages/modules.
The recommended method is to use the paths
option, as it's the only one that works with the -f
option of MkDocs, allowing to build the documentation from any location on the file system. Indeed, the paths provided with the paths
option are computed as relative to the configuration file (mkdocs.yml), so that the current working directory has no impact on the build process: you can build the docs from any location on your filesystem.
paths
option¤
This is the recommended method.
mkdocs.yml in root, package in root
📁 root/
├── mkdocs.yml
└── 📁 package/
mkdocs.yml
plugins:
- mkdocstrings:
handlers:
python:
paths: [.] # actually not needed, default
mkdocs.yml in root, package in subfolder
📁 root/
├── mkdocs.yml
└── 📁 src/
└── 📁 package/
mkdocs.yml
plugins:
- mkdocstrings:
handlers:
python:
paths: [src]
mkdocs.yml in subfolder, package in root
📁 root/
├── 📁 docs/
│ └── mkdocs.yml
└── 📁 package/
mkdocs.yml
plugins:
- mkdocstrings:
handlers:
python:
paths: [..]
mkdocs.yml in subfolder, package in subfolder
📁 root/
├── 📁 docs/
│ └── mkdocs.yml
└── 📁 src/
└── 📁 package/
mkdocs.yml
plugins:
- mkdocstrings:
handlers:
python:
paths: [../src]
Except for case 1, which is supported by default, we strongly recommend setting the path to your packages using this option, even if it works without it (for example because your project manager automatically adds src
to PYTHONPATH), to make sure anyone can build your docs from any location on their filesystem.
This method has limitations.
This method might work for you, with your current setup, but not for others trying your build your docs with their own setup/environment. We recommend using the paths
method instead.
You can take advantage of the usual Python loading mechanisms. In Bash and other shells, you can run your command like this (note the prepended PYTHONPATH=...
):
mkdocs.yml in root, package in root
📁 root/
├── mkdocs.yml
└── 📁 package/
PYTHONPATH=. mkdocs build # actually not needed, default
mkdocs.yml in root, package in subfolder
📁 root/
├── mkdocs.yml
└── 📁 src/
└── 📁 package/
PYTHONPATH=src mkdocs build
mkdocs.yml in subfolder, package in root
📁 root/
├── 📁 docs/
│ └── mkdocs.yml
└── 📁 package/
PYTHONPATH=. mkdocs build -f docs/mkdocs.yml
mkdocs.yml in subfolder, package in subfolder
📁 root/
├── 📁 docs/
│ └── mkdocs.yml
└── 📁 src/
└── 📁 package/
PYTHONPATH=src mkdocs build -f docs/mkdocs.yml
This method has limitations.
This method might work for you, with your current setup, but not for others trying your build your docs with their own setup/environment. We recommend using the paths
method instead.
Install your package in the current environment, and run MkDocs:
pipPDMPoetry
. venv/bin/activate
pip install -e .
mkdocs build
pdm install
pdm run mkdocs build
poetry install
poetry run mkdocs build
2025-07-23 2022-02-03
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