ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'bs4' in Python

# ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'bs4' in Python

The Python "ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'bs4'" occurs when we forget to install the beautifulsoup4 module before importing it or install it in an incorrect environment.

To solve the error, install the module by running the pip install beautifulsoup4 command.

Open your terminal in your project's root directory and install the beautifulsoup4 module.

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# 👇️ In a virtual environment or using Python 2
pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ For Python 3 (could also be pip3.10 depending on your version)
pip3 install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you get a permissions error
sudo pip3 install beautifulsoup4
pip install beautifulsoup4 --user

# 👇️ If you don't have pip in your PATH environment variable
python -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ For Python 3 (could also be pip3.10 depending on your version)
python3 -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ Using py alias (Windows)
py -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ Alternative for Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install python3-bs4

# 👇️ For Anaconda
conda install -c anaconda beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ For Jupyter Notebook
!pip install beautifulsoup4

After you install the beautifulsoup4 package, try importing it as follows.

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from bs4 import BeautifulSoup

soup = BeautifulSoup("<p>Some<b>bad<i>HTML")

print(soup.prettify())

# Common causes of the error

The error occurs for multiple reasons:

1. Not having the beautifulsoup4 package installed by running pip install beautifulsoup4.
2. Installing the package in a different Python version than the one you're using.
3. Installing the package globally and not in your virtual environment.
4. Your IDE running an incorrect version of Python.
5. Naming your module bs4.py which would shadow the official module.
6. Declaring a variable named bs4 which would shadow the imported variable.

If the error persists, get your Python version and make sure you are installing the package using the correct Python version.

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python --version

For example, my Python version is 3.10.4, so I would install the beautifulsoup4 package with pip3.10 install beautifulsoup4.

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pip3.10 install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you get a permissions error use pip3 (NOT pip3.X)
sudo pip3 install beautifulsoup4

Notice that the version number corresponds to the version of pip I'm using.

If the PATH for pip is not set up on your machine, replace pip with python3 -m pip:

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# 👇️ Make sure to use your version of Python, e.g. 3.10
python3 -m pip install beautifulsoup4

If the "No module named 'bs4'" error persists, try restarting your IDE and development server/script.

# Check if the package is installed

You can check if you have the beautifulsoup4 package installed by running the pip show beautifulsoup4 command.

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# 👇️ Check if you have beautifulsoup4 installed
pip show beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you don't have pip set up in PATH
python -m pip show beautifulsoup4

The pip show beautifulsoup4 command will either state that the package is not installed or show a bunch of information about the package, including the location where the package is installed.

# Make sure your IDE is using the correct Python version

If the package is not installed, make sure your IDE is using the correct version of Python.

For example, In VSCode, you can press CTRL + Shift + P or (⌘ + Shift + P on Mac) to open the command palette.

Then type "Python select interpreter" in the field.

Then Select the correct Python version from the dropdown menu.

# Install the package in a Virtual Environment

If you are using a virtual environment, make sure you are installing beautifulsoup4 in your virtual environment and not globally.

You can try creating a virtual environment if you don't already have one.

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# 👇️ Use the correct version of Python when creating VENV
python3 -m venv venv

# 👇️ Activate on Unix or MacOS
source venv/bin/activate

# 👇️ Activate on Windows (cmd.exe)
venv\Scripts\activate.bat

# 👇️ Activate on Windows (PowerShell)
venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

# 👇️ Install beautifulsoup4 in your virtual environment
pip install beautifulsoup4

If the python3 -m venv venv command doesn't work, try the following 2 commands:

• python -m venv venv
• py -m venv venv

Your virtual environment will use the version of Python that was used to create it.

You also shouldn't be declaring a variable named bs4 as that would also shadow the original module.

# Try reinstalling the package

If the error is not resolved, try to uninstall the beautifulsoup4 package and then install it.

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# 👇️ Check if you have beautifulsoup4 installed
pip show beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you don't have pip set up in PATH
python -m pip show beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ Uninstall beautifulsoup4
pip uninstall beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you don't have pip set up in PATH
python -m pip uninstall beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ Install beautifulsoup4
pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you don't have pip set up in PATH
python -m pip install beautifulsoup4

Try restarting your IDE and development server/script.

You can also try to upgrade the version of the beautifulsoup4 package.

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pip install beautifulsoup4 --upgrade

# 👇️ If you don't have pip set up in PATH
python -m pip install beautifulsoup4 --upgrade

# Table of Contents

1. Install beautifulsoup4 on Windows
2. Install beautifulsoup4 on macOS or Linux
3. Install beautifulsoup4 in Visual Studio Code
4. Install beautifulsoup4 in PyCharm
5. Install beautifulsoup4 in Anaconda
6. Install beautifulsoup4 in Jupyter Notebook

# Install beautifulsoup4 on Windows

To install the beautifulsoup4 module on Windows:

1. Type CMD in the search bar and open the Command Prompt application.
2. Type pip install beautifulsoup4 and press Enter.

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pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ For Python 3
pip3 install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you don't have pip in your PATH environment variable
python -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ For Python 3
python3 -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ Using py alias
py -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you get a permissions error
pip install beautifulsoup4 --user

# 👇️ For Anaconda
conda install -c anaconda beautifulsoup4

If the command doesn't succeed, try running CMD as an administrator.

If you get the error 'pip' is not recognized as an internal or external command, use the python -m command when installing beautifulsoup4.

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python -m pip install beautifulsoup4

python3 -m pip install beautifulsoup4

py -m pip install beautifulsoup4

Alternatively, you can install the beautifulsoup4 module in a virtual environment:

1. Open the root directory of your project.
2. Press Shift and right-click in Explorer.

3. Click on "Open PowerShell window here".
4. Run the following commands.

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# 👇️ Might also be: "python3 -m venv venv"
python -m venv venv

# 👇️ Activate on Windows (PowerShell)
venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

# 👇️ Activate on Windows (cmd.exe)
venv\Scripts\activate.bat

# 👇️ Install beautifulsoup4 in your virtual environment
pip install beautifulsoup4

If the python -m venv venv command doesn't work, try the following 2 commands:

• python3 -m venv venv
• py -m venv venv.

If you see an error message that ps1 cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system, run the following command, type "yes" when prompted and rerun the activation command.

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Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

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pip show beautifulsoup4
pip3 show beautifulsoup4

python -m pip show beautifulsoup4
python3 -m pip show beautifulsoup4

The pip show beautifulsoup4 command will either state that the package is not installed or show a bunch of information about the package, including the location where the package is installed.

# Install beautifulsoup4 on macOS or Linux

To install beautifulsoup4 on macOS or Linux:

1. Search for "terminal" and start the application.
2. Type pip install beautifulsoup4 and press Enter.

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pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ For Python 3
pip3 install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you get a permissions error
sudo pip3 install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you don't have pip in your PATH environment variable
python -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ For Python 3
python3 -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ Alternative if you get a permissions error
pip install beautifulsoup4 --user

# 👇️ For Anaconda
conda install -c anaconda beautifulsoup4

If you get an error that pip isn't found, use the python -m command.

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python -m pip install beautifulsoup4

python3 -m pip install beautifulsoup4

If you get a permissions error, prefix the command with sudo.

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sudo pip install beautifulsoup4

sudo pip3 install beautifulsoup4

Alternatively, you can install the beautifulsoup4 package in a virtual environment:

1. Open your terminal in the root directory of your project.
2. Run the following commands.

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# 👇️ Could also be "python -m venv venv"
python3 -m venv venv

# 👇️ Activate virtual env on macOS or Linux
source venv/bin/activate

# 👇️ Install beautifulsoup4 in your virtual environment
pip install beautifulsoup4

Your virtual environment will use the version of Python that was used to create it.

You can use the pip show command to verify beautifulsoup4 has been installed successfully.

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pip show beautifulsoup4
pip3 show beautifulsoup4

python -m pip show beautifulsoup4
python3 -m pip show beautifulsoup4

The pip show beautifulsoup4 command will either state that the package is not installed or show a bunch of information about the package.

# Install beautifulsoup4 in Visual Studio Code

To install beautifulsoup4 in Visual Studio Code:

1. Press CTRL + ` (Backtick) on your keyboard to open the terminal.
2. Run the pip install beautifulsoup4 command to install the beautifulsoup4 module.

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pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ For Python 3
pip3 install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you get a permissions error
sudo pip3 install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you don't have pip in your PATH environment variable
python -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ For Python 3
python3 -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ Using py alias
py -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ Alternative if you get a permissions error
pip install beautifulsoup4 --user

When installing Python modules in Visual Studio code, make sure that your IDE is configured to use the correct Python version.

Press CTRL+Shift+P or (⌘ + Shift + P on Mac) to open the command palette.

Then type "Python select interpreter" in the field.

Then Select the correct Python version from the dropdown menu.

You can use the python --version command if you need to get your version of Python.

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python --version
python3 --version

You can also try creating a virtual environment if you don't already have one.

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# 👇️ Could also be "python -m venv venv" or "py -m venv venv"
python3 -m venv venv

# 👇️ Activate on Unix or MacOS
source venv/bin/activate

# 👇️ Activate on Windows (cmd.exe)
venv\Scripts\activate.bat

# 👇️ Activate on Windows (PowerShell)
venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

# 👇️ Install beautifulsoup4 in your virtual environment
pip install beautifulsoup4

Your virtual environment will use the version of Python that was used to create it.

# Install beautifulsoup4 in PyCharm

To install beautifulsoup4 in PyCharm:

1. Press Alt+F12 on your keyboard to open the terminal.
2. Run the pip install beautifulsoup4 command to install the beautifulsoup4 module.

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pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ For Python 3
pip3 install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you get a permissions error
sudo pip3 install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you don't have pip in your PATH environment variable
python -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ For Python 3
python3 -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ Using py alias
py -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ Alternative if you get a permissions error
pip install beautifulsoup4 --user

Alternatively, you can use the IDE itself to install the module.

1. Click on "File" > "Settings" > "Project" > "Python Interpreter".
2. Click on the + icon and type beautifulsoup4.
3. Click on "Install Package".

Click on "File" > "Settings" > "Project" > "Python Interpreter".

Then Select the correct Python version from the dropdown menu.

You can use the python --version command if you need to get your version of Python.

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python --version
python3 --version

# Install beautifulsoup4 in Anaconda

To install beautifulsoup4 in Anaconda:

1. Open your Anaconda Navigator.
2. Click on "Environments" and select your project.
3. Type beautifulsoup4 in the search bar to the right.
4. Tick the beautifulsoup4 package and click on "Apply".

Alternatively, you can install the beautifulsoup4 package with a command.

If you are on Windows, search for "Anaconda Prompt" and open the application.

If you are on macOS or Linux, open your terminal.

Run the following command to install the beautifulsoup4 package.

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# 👇️ Using conda
conda install -c anaconda beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ Alternatively use `pip`
pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ For Python 3
pip3 install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you get a permissions error
sudo pip3 install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you don't have pip in your PATH environment variable
python -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ For Python 3
python3 -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ Using py alias
py -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ Alternative if you get a permissions error
pip install beautifulsoup4 --user

Click on the following article if you need to install a specific version of the package using Anaconda.

# Install beautifulsoup4 in Jupyter Notebook

To install beautifulsoup4 in Jupyter Notebook:

1. Open your terminal and type "jupyter notebook".

2. Click on "New" and then "Terminal" in the browser tab.

3. Type pip install beautifulsoup4 and press Enter.

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# 👇️ Using pip
pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ For Python 3
pip3 install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you get a permissions error
sudo pip3 install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ If you don't have pip in your PATH environment variable
python -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ For Python 3
python3 -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ Using py alias
py -m pip install beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ Using conda
conda install -c anaconda beautifulsoup4

# 👇️ Alternative if you get a permissions error
pip install beautifulsoup4 --user

Alternatively, you can use the Python ipykernel.

1. Open your terminal and type "jupyter notebook".

2. Click on "New" and then click on "Python 3 (ipykernel)".

3. Type !pip install beautifulsoup4 and click on "Run".

Note that the pip install command must be prefixed with an exclamation mark if you use this approach.

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!pip install beautifulsoup4

Once you type the command, click "Run" to install the beautifulsoup4 module.

If you get a permissions error, e.g. "[WinError: 5] Access is denied", add the --user option to the installation command.

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!pip install beautifulsoup4 --user

If the error persists, try to restart the Jupyter Kernel and rerun the command.