How to Install `backoff` in Python

v2.2.1 Web & HTTP Python >=3.7,<4.0 MIT

Function decoration for backoff and retry

Install pip install backoff

What is backoff?

Function decoration for backoff and retry

This module provides function decorators which can be used to wrap a function such that it will be retried until some condition is met. It is meant to be of use when accessing unreliable resources with the potential for intermittent failures i.e. network resources and external APIs. Somewhat more generally, it may also be of use for dynamically polling resources for externally generated content.

Decorators support both regular functions for synchronous code and 's coroutines for asynchronous code.

Documentation → PyPI page → Author: Bob Green

Quick Start

Minimal example to get started with backoff:

import backoff

print(backoff.__version__)

Installation

pip (standard)

pip install backoff

Virtual environment (recommended)

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate   # Windows: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install backoff

pip3

pip3 install backoff

conda

conda install -c conda-forge backoff

Poetry

poetry add backoff

Verify the Installation

After installing, confirm the package is available:

python -c "import backoff; print(backoff.__version__)"

If this prints a version number, installation succeeded. If you see a ModuleNotFoundError, see the errors section below.

Installation Errors

Common errors when installing backoff with pip.

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'backoff'

Cause: The package is not installed in the current Python environment.

Fix: Run pip install backoff. If using a virtual environment, ensure it is activated first.

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'backoff' (installed but still failing)

Cause: pip installed the package into a different Python than the one running your script.

Fix: Use python -m pip install backoff to install into the interpreter you are running.

ImportError: cannot import name 'X' from 'backoff'

Cause: The function or class does not exist in the installed version.

Fix: Check the version with pip show backoff and upgrade with pip install --upgrade backoff.

pip: command not found

Cause: pip is not in PATH or Python was not added to PATH during installation.

Fix: Try python -m pip install backoff. On macOS/Linux try pip3.

PermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied

Cause: No write access to the system Python package directory.

Fix: Use a virtual environment, or add --user: pip install --user backoff

SSL: CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED

Cause: pip cannot verify PyPI's SSL certificate — common behind corporate proxies.

Fix: Try: pip install --trusted-host pypi.org --trusted-host files.pythonhosted.org backoff

ConnectionError: Failed to establish a new connection

Cause: Server unreachable, URL invalid, or firewall/proxy blocking the connection.

Fix: Verify the URL and network access. Set HTTP_PROXY / HTTPS_PROXY env vars if behind a proxy.

SSLError: CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED

Cause: The remote server's SSL certificate cannot be verified.

Fix: Update CA certificates on your system. For testing only, disable SSL verification (never in production).

Recent Releases

Version	Released
`2.2.0`	2022-10-05
`2.2.1` latest	2022-10-05
`2.1.1`	2022-06-08
`2.1.2`	2022-06-08
`2.1.0`	2022-06-07

Full release history on PyPI →

Manage backoff

Upgrade to latest version

pip install --upgrade backoff

Install a specific version

pip install backoff==2.2.1

Uninstall

pip uninstall backoff

Check what is installed

pip show backoff

Last updated: 2026-04-11 • Data from PyPI

How to Install backoff in Python