Matplotlib Inline Backend for Jupyter

0.2.1 verified Tue May 12 auth: no python install: stale quickstart: stale

Provides an inline Matplotlib backend for Jupyter, enabling figures to display directly within the notebook interface. Current version: 0.2.1. Maintained by the IPython Development Team, with releases as needed to address updates and improvements.

pip install matplotlib-inline

Common errors

error SyntaxError: invalid syntax %matplotlib inline ↓

cause The `%matplotlib inline` command is an IPython magic command and is not valid standard Python syntax outside of an IPython environment.

fix

Use %matplotlib inline only within Jupyter Notebooks or IPython consoles. In a regular Python script, remove this line and explicitly call plt.show() to display plots.

error ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'matplotlib_inline' ↓

cause The `matplotlib-inline` package is not installed in the active Python environment or the environment's `PYTHONPATH` is misconfigured.

fix

Install the package using pip: pip install matplotlib-inline. Ensure it's installed in the Python environment linked to your Jupyter or IPython setup.

error No plot appears! ↓

cause Even with `matplotlib-inline` enabled, plots may not automatically display in Jupyter Notebooks due to specific environment configurations, older Matplotlib versions, or if `plt.show()` is not explicitly called.

fix

After creating a plot, explicitly call plt.show(). In modern Jupyter, %matplotlib inline is often not strictly necessary as inline display is usually the default, but if issues persist, ensure it's in the first cell without extra spaces, and always follow plotting commands with plt.show() if needed.

error AttributeError: module 'matplotlib' has no attribute 'interactive' ↓

cause This error can arise from version incompatibilities between Matplotlib and `matplotlib-inline`, or issues when Matplotlib attempts to set up an interactive backend.

fix

Update both Matplotlib and matplotlib-inline to their latest compatible versions: pip install --upgrade matplotlib matplotlib-inline. If the problem persists, consider creating a clean Python environment.

Warnings

breaking Ensure that 'matplotlib-inline' is installed to enable inline plotting in Jupyter notebooks. Without this package, figures may not display inline. ↓

fix Install 'matplotlib-inline' using pip: pip install matplotlib-inline

gotcha In some Jupyter environments, the '%matplotlib inline' magic command may still be required to enable inline plotting. If figures do not display inline, try running '%matplotlib inline' in a notebook cell before plotting. ↓

fix Add '%matplotlib inline' at the beginning of your notebook to enable inline plotting.

breaking The 'numpy' package is not found. This typically occurs when numpy is not installed in the current Python environment, leading to a ModuleNotFoundError when an application or its dependencies try to import it. ↓

fix Install 'numpy' using pip: pip install numpy

breaking Ensure that 'numpy' is installed. The 'ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'numpy'' indicates that the package is missing, preventing scripts that depend on it from running. ↓

fix Install 'numpy' using pip: pip install numpy

Install compatibility stale last tested: 2026-05-12

python os / libc status wheel install import disk

3.10 alpine (musl) - - - -

3.10 slim (glibc) - - - -

3.11 alpine (musl) - - - -

3.11 slim (glibc) - - - -

3.12 alpine (musl) - - - -

3.12 slim (glibc) - - - -

3.13 alpine (musl) - - - -

3.13 slim (glibc) - - - -

3.9 alpine (musl) - - - -

3.9 slim (glibc) - - - -

Imports

configure_inline_support
```
from IPython.core.pylabtools import configure_inline_support
```
Ensure correct import path to avoid ImportError

Quickstart stale last tested: 2026-04-23

Basic example to generate and display a sine wave plot inline within a Jupyter notebook.

import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

# Generate sample data
x = np.linspace(0, 10, 100)
y = np.sin(x)

# Create a plot
plt.plot(x, y)
plt.title('Sine Wave')
plt.show()