: It tells your development environment which version of Python should be active for a particular project.
At its core, a .python-version file is a single line of text saved in the root directory of your project. It contains nothing more than a version string. Anatomy of the File 3.12.2 Use code with caution.
Most modern Python version managers support this file out of the box. Using pyenv .python version
Python releases updates regularly, focusing on speed and developer experience.
💡 : Always commit .python-version to your Git repository. This acts as documentation for which Python version the codebase supports. : It tells your development environment which version
Do you need assistance configuring to read this file? Share public link
: If the file exists, the manager immediately sets the local environment to the version specified inside. Anatomy of the File 3
Here are three scenarios that will convince you otherwise:
, with a new major version arriving every October and receiving five years of support [9, 26]. Current Version Status (as of April 2026)
When you enter a directory containing this file, your version manager reads the version string inside and sets that version as the active Python for your current shell session. This ensures that every developer working on the project uses the same environment. How to Create the File
Demystifying .python-version : The Complete Guide to Python Version Management