Sass for Python (libsass)

0.23.0 · maintenance · verified Sat Apr 11

Libsass is a Python binding for LibSass, the C/C++ port of the original Sass CSS preprocessor. It allows Python developers to compile Sass/SCSS files to CSS without needing a Ruby or Node.js runtime. While the `libsass-python` wrapper is actively maintained and currently at version 0.23.0 (released January 6, 2024), the underlying LibSass C/C++ library reached its official End-of-Life in October 2025 and is no longer receiving updates.

Warnings

breaking The upstream LibSass C/C++ library, which `libsass-python` wraps, reached its End-of-Life in October 2025 and is no longer maintained. It will not receive feature updates or compatibility with new CSS/Sass features. Users are strongly advised to migrate to Dart Sass or a Python binding for Dart Sass, such as `sass-embedded-python`.
Fix: Migrate to `sass-embedded-python` (or another Dart Sass wrapper) for future-proof Sass compilation.
deprecated Python 2.x support was removed in version 0.22.0.
Fix: Ensure your project runs on Python 3.8 or newer (as required by PyPI metadata).
deprecated The `sassc` command-line interface, previously shipped with libsass-python, was removed in version 0.22.0.
Fix: Use the `pysassc` command-line tool, which provides SassC-compliant functionality, or use the `sass.compile()` API directly.
gotcha Installation of `libsass` may require a C++ compiler (like GCC, Clang, or MSVC) on your system, especially if pre-built wheels are not available for your specific platform or Python version. It requires a compiler that supports recent C++ standards (C++11 or newer).
Fix: Ensure a compatible C++ compiler is installed and configured in your build environment (e.g., `build-essential` on Debian/Ubuntu, Xcode Command Line Tools on macOS, Visual Studio Build Tools on Windows).
gotcha LibSass has known incompatibilities and differences in behavior compared to Dart Sass (the current reference implementation), particularly regarding `@import` vs `@use`, `/` for division, custom property parsing, and `@extend` rules with complex selectors.
Fix: Review the Sass documentation on LibSass migration to understand potential behavioral differences when using `libsass-python` vs. Dart Sass. Consider using the Sass migrator tools if transitioning.
gotcha The `source_comments` parameter for `sass.compile()` changed its accepted values. Historically, it could take strings like 'none', 'line_numbers', 'map'. As of 0.6.0, it primarily accepts boolean values (`True`/`False`).
Fix: Always use boolean values (`True` or `False`) for the `source_comments` parameter. String values are deprecated and will be obsolete.

Install

pip install libsass Install from PyPI

Imports

compile
```
from sass import compile
```
The primary function to compile Sass/SCSS to CSS.
CompileError
```
from sass import CompileError
```
Exception raised on compilation errors.

Quickstart

Compiles a SCSS string to a compressed CSS string. The `compile` function can also take `filename` or `dirname` arguments for file-based compilation.

import sass

scss_code = """
$primary-color: #337ab7;

.container {
  h1 {
    color: $primary-color;
  }
  p {
    font-size: 1.2em;
  }
}
"""

try:
    css_output = sass.compile(string=scss_code, output_style='compressed')
    print(css_output)
except sass.CompileError as e:
    print(f"Sass compilation error: {e}")

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