pypa/pip · error · InstallationError

Could not detect requirement name for

Error message

Could not detect requirement name for '{editable_req}', please specify one with your_package_name @ URL

What it means

Raised by parse_editable (constructors.py:166) when an editable VCS URL has no detectable project name (no #egg= fragment and no PEP 508 'name @ url' form) and the URL is not a file: path (from which a name can be inferred). pip needs a name for the InstallRequirement, so it asks the user to supply one explicitly.

Solutions

  1. Use PEP 508 direct-URL form: 'pip install -e "projectname @ git+https://.../repo.git"'.
  2. Or add the legacy egg fragment: 'pip install -e git+https://.../repo.git#egg=projectname'.
  3. Check the package's setup.cfg/pyproject.toml [project].name and use exactly that name.

Example fix

# before
pip install -e git+https://github.com/user/repo.git
# after (PEP 508 form)
pip install -e 'myproject @ git+https://github.com/user/repo.git'
# or legacy egg fragment
pip install -e git+https://github.com/user/repo.git#egg=myproject
Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

from pip._vendor.packaging.requirements import Requirement, InvalidRequirement
from urllib.parse import urlparse

def editable_has_name(line: str) -> bool:
    # PEP 508 form: 'name @ url'
    try:
        r = Requirement(line)
        if r.url and r.name:
            return True
    except InvalidRequirement:
        pass
    # legacy form: '...#egg=Name'
    if '#egg=' in line:
        return True
    return False

Type guard

def editable_has_explicit_name(line: str) -> bool:
    return ('@ ' in line and not line.startswith('@')) or '#egg=' in line

Try / catch

from subprocess import run, CalledProcessError
try:
    run(["pip", "install", "-e", vcs_url], check=True)
except CalledProcessError:
    # Retry with explicit name: 'name @ url'.
    run(["pip", "install", "-e", f"{name} @ {vcs_url}"], check=True)

Prevention

When it happens

Trigger: An editable VCS requirement like '-e git+https://.../repo.git' without a '#egg=RepoName' fragment or a 'RepoName @ git+https://...' form, where package_name stays None and the link is not file:.

Common situations: Old-style egg fragments removed during a refactor; copy-pasting a bare git URL after -e; migrating from pip syntax to PEP 508 direct-url syntax.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of pypa/pip@f399c37189 (2026-08-08). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8c05bbbbbec00b0e. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/pip/_internal/req/constructors.py:167

    """
    try:
        package_name, url, extras = _parse_direct_url_editable(editable_req)
    except ValueError:
        package_name, url, extras = _parse_pip_syntax_editable(editable_req)

    link = Link(url)

    if not link.is_vcs and not link.url.startswith("file:"):
        backends = ", ".join(vcs.all_schemes)
        raise InstallationError(
            f"{editable_req} is not a valid editable requirement. "
            f"It should either be a path to a local project or a VCS URL "
            f"(beginning with {backends})."
        )

    # The project name can be inferred from local file URIs easily.
    if not package_name and not link.url.startswith("file:"):
        raise InstallationError(
            f"Could not detect requirement name for '{editable_req}', "
            "please specify one with your_package_name @ URL"
        )
    return package_name, url, extras


def check_first_requirement_in_file(filename: str) -> None:
    """Check if file is parsable as a requirements file.

    This is heavily based on ``pkg_resources.parse_requirements``, but
    simplified to just check the first meaningful line.

    :raises InvalidRequirement: If the first meaningful line cannot be parsed
        as an requirement.
    """
    with open(filename, encoding="utf-8", errors="ignore") as f:
        # Create a steppable iterator, so we can handle \-continuations.
        lines = (

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