pypa/pip · error · InstallationError

Could not detect requirement name for '{editable_req}', plea

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() when an editable requirement is a VCS URL but pip cannot infer a project name from it (no #egg= fragment and no name@url PEP 508 form). For non-file URLs pip needs an explicit name to track the install; without one it aborts at constructors.py:167 suggesting the `name @ URL` syntax.

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 = (

View on GitHub (pinned to d7d0d0a394)

Solutions

1. Add an explicit name using PEP 508 direct URL syntax: `pip install -e "myproject @ git+https://github.com/org/repo.git"`.
2. Alternatively append an egg fragment: `pip install -e git+https://github.com/org/repo.git#egg=myproject`.
3. Ensure the name you supply matches the distribution name to avoid later conflicts.

Example fix

# before
pip install -e git+https://github.com/org/repo.git
# after
pip install -e "myproject @ git+https://github.com/org/repo.git"

import re

def ensure_editable_has_name(spec: str) -> str:
    # ensure either 'name @ url' or '#egg=name' is present for VCS urls
    if spec.startswith(("git+", "hg+", "svn+", "bzr+")):
        if "@" not in spec.split("://", 1)[-1].split("#", 1)[0] and "#egg=" not in spec:
            raise ValueError(f"Editable VCS spec {spec!r} needs a name: use 'name @ url' or '#egg=name'")
    return spec

null

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When it happens

Trigger: Running `pip install -e git+https://github.com/org/repo.git` with no `#egg=reponame` fragment and no `name @` prefix. The package_name returned from _parse_pip_syntax_editable (egg_fragment) and _parse_direct_url_editable (req.name) is None and the URL is not a file: URL.

Common situations: Older pip tutorials that omitted the egg fragment worked historically but stricter pip versions require a name. Renaming a repo so the inferred name no longer matches. Using a VCS URL shorthand that lacks metadata.

Related errors

• {editable_req} is not a valid editable requirement. It shoul
• Invalid requirement: {name!r}: {exc}
• Editable requirements are not allowed as constraints
• Invalid requirement: {name.strip()!r}: {exc}
• Invalid requirement: {req_as_string!r}: {exc}

AI-assisted analysis of pypa/pip@d7d0d0a394 (2026-08-04). Data as JSON: /data/errors/8c05bbbbbec00b0e.json. Report an issue: GitHub.