ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'requests'

Posted in Python by Dirk - last update: Feb 02, 2024

Python raises the ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'requests when it is unable to find the requests library. The most likely cause is that you didn’t install requests in the environment where you are running your code. Quick fix: install requests using: the pip install requests command

Possible causes and solutions

The requests module in Python is a popular third-party library for making HTTP requests. It simplifies the process of sending HTTP requests and handling responses.

import requests

url = 'https://example.com/api/data'
response = requests.get(url)

if response.status_code == 200:
    print('Request successful!')
    print('Response content:', response.text)
else:
    print('Request failed. Status code:', response.status_code)

We have all been there: the dreaded ’no module named error’ - you try running your code, and there it is:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "myfile.py", line 1, in <module>
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'requests'

Luckily, it is easy to fix. Below you can find the most common causes and how to fix them:

‘requests’ Library is not installed

In your code you are importing the requests module

import requests

which generates the ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'requests'. The the most common cause for this error: the environment where you are running your code doesn’t have the requests library installed.

You can use the following command in the terminal or command prompt to check if the requests library is installed:

pip show requests

If requests is not installed you will get this result:

WARNING: Package(s) not found: requests

Solution:

pip install requests

‘requests’ Module installed in the Wrong Directory

It is possible that you did install the requests module, but that the directory where you installed it is not in the Python path.

You can check the Python path in a few different ways:

1. Using sys module in Python:

Open a Python script or the Python interpreter and run the following code:

import sys
print(sys.path)

This will print a list of directories that make up the Python path.

2. Using Command Line

Open a command prompt or terminal and run:

Windows

echo %PYTHONPATH%

Unix/Linux/macOS

echo $PYTHONPATH

If the PYTHONPATH environment variable is set, it will display the directories in the Python path.

Solution: Move the requests module to a directory that is included in the Python path or add the requests module’s directory to the sys.path using sys.path.append().

‘requests’ not installed in Virtual Environment

Even if you have requests installed in on your computer, if you are using a virtual environment you cannot access it from this environment.

If you are using virtual environments, ensure that the virtual environment is activated, and that the requests modules is installed within this environment.

Installation is simple:

pip install requests

File Naming Conflicts:

It is not really likely - but if you happen to have a requests.py file in your environment and you also installed the standard requests library it will cause a conflict. Rename your script/module to avoid conflicts with existing module names.