isort

isort is a command-line utility and library for Python that automatically sorts and organizes import statements into a consistent, configurable order. By default, it groups them into standard-library, third-party, and local sections, following the import grouping recommended by PEP 8.

Installation and Setup

Install it from the Python Package Index (PyPI) into a virtual environment:

Windows PowerShell 
(venv) PS> py -m pip install isort
(venv) PS> py -m isort --version
Shell 
(venv) $ python -m pip install isort
(venv) $ python -m isort --version

A common setup that aligns with Black is:

TOML pyproject.toml 
[tool.isort]
profile = "black"
line_length = 88
known_first_party = ["package_name"]
src_paths = ["src"]

Key Features

  • Groups and orders imports by section, such as standard-library, third-party, and local modules, following the import grouping recommended by PEP 8.
  • Enforces consistent formatting of single and multi-line imports and can combine or split imports as configured.
  • Reads settings from pyproject.toml, setup.cfg, or .isort.cfg, with ready-made profiles like black.
  • Provides a check mode and clear exit codes for continuous integration and pre-commit workflows.
  • Supports per-file ignores and skip patterns to fine-tune what gets formatted.

Usage

Sort imports in a file or directory in place:

Shell 
$ python -m isort path/to/file.py
$ python -m isort src/ tests/

Check whether imports are correctly sorted without writing changes:

Shell 
$ python -m isort --check --diff .

Override or fine-tune behavior on the command line:

Shell 
$ python -m isort --profile black --line-length 100 .
How to Manage Python Projects With pyproject.toml

Tutorial

How to Manage Python Projects With pyproject.toml

Learn how to manage Python projects with the pyproject.toml configuration file. In this tutorial, you'll explore key use cases of the pyproject.toml file, including configuring your build, installing your package locally, managing dependencies, and publishing your package to PyPI.

intermediate tools

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

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By Leodanis Pozo Ramos • Updated Sept. 7, 2026
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