pip download: Fetch Distributions Command Reference

Download distributions without installing -- the basis for offline CI.

pip download resolves dependencies and downloads matching distributions into a directory without installing them. It is how air-gapped CI stages stage their packages.

Common flags / usage

-d, --dest DIR -- download into DIR
-r FILE -- download everything in a requirements file
--only-binary=:all: -- download wheels only, never sdists
--platform TAG -- target a different platform (requires wheels only)
--python-version VER -- target a different Python (requires wheels only)

Example

shell

- run: |
    pip download --only-binary=:all: \
      --platform manylinux2014_x86_64 \
      --python-version 312 \
      -d ./wheels -r requirements.txt

In CI

When you pass --platform or --python-version, pip cannot build sdists, so add --only-binary=:all: and ensure every dependency publishes a matching wheel; otherwise the download fails fast.

Key takeaways

pip download stages distributions into a directory without installing them.
Cross-targeting platform/Python requires --only-binary=:all: (wheels only).
Pair it with pip install --no-index --find-links for offline installs.