Fix Python ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'django'

Python shows ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'django' error when you import the Django module but the module can’t be found by Python.

This can happen because the module is not installed or not available in your Python environment.

To fix this error, you need to install Django and make sure it can be found by Python. Let’s see how.

Installing Django

Django is an open-source web framework written in Python that is used to build dynamic websites and web applications quickly and easily.

You can import the framework in your code as follows:

import django

But if the django module is not found, then Python responds with a ModuleNotFoundError as shown below:

To fix this error, you need to make sure that the django module can be found by Python.

If you don’t have the module yet, then you can install it using pip like this:

# Use pip to install Django
pip install django

# Or pip3
pip3 install django

# If pip isn't available in PATH
python -m pip install django

# Or with python3
python3 -m pip install django

# for Anaconda
conda install -c anaconda django

# for Jupyter Notebook
!pip install Django

If you see a Permission denied error, then add the --user flag into your install command:

pip install django --user

# if that doesn't work, use sudo
sudo pip install django

Once you installed the django module, you should be able to import it in your code.

But if you still get the ModuleNotFoundError, it means that the Django module can’t be found in your Python environment.

There are several reasons why this error can happen:

1. You may have multiple versions of Python installed on your system, and you are using a different version of Python than the one where Django is installed.
2. You might have Django installed in a virtual environment, and you are not activating the virtual environment before running your code.
3. Your IDE uses a different version of Python from the one that has Django

Let’s see how to fix these errors.

Handling multiple versions of Python

If you have multiple versions of Python installed on your system, you need to make sure that you are using the specific version where the Django module is available.

You can test this by running the which -a python or which -a python3 command from the terminal:

$ which -a python3
/opt/homebrew/bin/python3
/usr/bin/python3

In the example above, there are two versions of Python installed on /opt/homebrew/bin/python3 and /usr/bin/python3.

Suppose you run the following steps in your project:

1. Install django with pip using /usr/bin/ Python version
2. Install Python using Homebrew, you have Python in /opt/homebrew/
3. Then import django in your code

The steps above will cause the error because Django is installed in /usr/bin/, and your code is probably executed using Python from /opt/homebrew/ path.

To solve this error, you need to run pip install django command again so that Django is installed and accessible by the new Python version.

Next, you can also have Django installed in a virtual environment.

Handling Python virtual environment

Python venv package allows you to create a virtual environment where you can install different versions of packages required by your project.

If you are installing django inside a virtual environment, then the module won’t be accessible outside of that environment.

You can see if a virtual environment is activated or not by looking at your command prompt.

When a virtual environment is activated, the name of that environment will be shown inside parentheses as shown below:

In the picture above, the name of the virtual environment (base) appears when the Conda virtual environment is activated.

You need to turn off the virtual environment so that pip installs to your computer.

When your virtual environment is created by Conda, run the conda deactivate command. Otherwise, running the deactivate command should work.

For more detail on creating, running, and deactivating Python virtual environment, you can read venv documentation article.

Handle IDE using a different Python version

Finally, the IDE from where you run your Python code may use a different Python version when you have multiple versions installed.

For example, you can check the Python interpreter used in VSCode by opening the command palette (CTRL + Shift + P for Windows and ⌘ + Shift + P for Mac) then run the Python: Select Interpreter command.

You should see all available Python versions listed as follows:

You need to use the same version where you installed Django so that the module can be found when you run the code from VSCode.

Once done, you should be able to import Django into your code.

Conclusion

In summary, the ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'django' error occurs when the Django module is not available in your Python environment.

To fix this error, you need to install Django using pip.

If you already have the module installed, make sure you are using the correct version of Python, deactivate the virtual environment if you have one, and check for the Python version used by your IDE.

By following these steps, you should be able to import django module in your code successfully.