`configparser`

The Python configparser module provides tools for handling configuration files. It allows you to read, write, and manage user-editable configuration files in a standard format similar to Windows INI files.

Here’s a quick example:

>>> import configparser

>>> config = configparser.ConfigParser()
>>> config.read_string("""
... [DEFAULT]
... ServerAliveInterval = 45
... Compression = yes
... CompressionLevel = 9
... """)

>>> config["DEFAULT"]["Compression"]
'yes'

Key Features

Reads and writes configuration files in INI format
Supports interpolation, letting values refer to other values in the same section or the DEFAULT section, and to values in other sections with ExtendedInterpolation
Provides default values for sections
Converts values to other types with the getint(), getfloat(), and getboolean() methods

Those defaults and interpolation rules combine every time you read a value. Step through a lookup to watch ConfigParser search the section, fall back to DEFAULT, and fill in each placeholder:

Notice that a template inherited from DEFAULT still resolves its placeholders against the section you asked for, which is why [api] gets its own home in the result.

Frequently Used Classes and Functions

Object	Type	Description
`configparser.ConfigParser`	Class	Provides the main class for handling configuration files
`ConfigParser.read()`	Method	Reads a configuration file
`ConfigParser.get()`	Method	Retrieves the value for a given option
`ConfigParser.write()`	Method	Writes the configuration to a file

Examples

Starting with the following configuration file:

[DEFAULT]
ServerAliveInterval = 45
Compression = yes
CompressionLevel = 9

Reading existing values from a configuration file:

>>> import configparser

>>> config = configparser.ConfigParser()
>>> config.read("example.ini")
['example.ini']
>>> config["DEFAULT"]["ServerAliveInterval"]
'45'

Writing a new value to a configuration file:

>>> config["NEW_SECTION"] = {"key": "value"}
>>> with open("example.ini", mode="w", encoding="utf-8") as configfile:
...     config.write(configfile)
...

Common Use Cases

Loading application settings from a file
Allowing user-customizable configurations
Managing complex configuration setups with default values and sections

Real-World Example

Imagine you have an application that needs to load user settings from a file. You can use configparser to handle this task efficiently:

>>> import configparser

>>> config = configparser.ConfigParser()

>>> config.read("settings.ini")
['settings.ini']
>>> config["UserSettings"] = {}
>>> config["UserSettings"]["theme"] = "dark"

>>> with open("settings.ini", mode="w", encoding="utf-8") as configfile:
...     config.write(configfile)
...

In this example, configparser allows you to load settings from an INI file, modify them, and save the changes back to the file, providing a straightforward way to handle user-configurable settings.

Tutorial

Python and TOML: Read, Write, and Configure with tomllib

Learn how to read, write, and manage TOML files in Python using tomllib and tomli. Parse config data, validate settings, and support pyproject.toml.

intermediate data-structures

For additional information on related topics, take a look at the following resources:

Raining Outside? Build a Weather CLI App With Python (Tutorial)
Build a Command-Line To-Do App With Python and Typer (Tutorial)
Working With TOML and Python (Course)
Building a Python Command-Line To-Do App With Typer (Course)

Have a question about this? Mentor AI can show you examples, compare related terms, and point you to tutorials.

By Leodanis Pozo Ramos • Updated Oct. 10, 2026

Python Standard Library Share Feedback

configparser