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How to Resolve "ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'seaborn'" in Python

The error ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'seaborn' in Python indicates that the seaborn data visualization library is not installed in your current Python environment.

This guide provides comprehensive solutions, including installation instructions for various environments and troubleshooting steps to resolve common issues.

Understanding the Error​

The ModuleNotFoundError means Python's import system can not locate the seaborn package. This nearly always means one of two things:

  • Seaborn is not installed: You haven't installed the library.
  • Wrong environment: You installed seaborn in a different Python environment than the one your script or IDE is currently using.

Basic Installation with pip​

The standard way to install seaborn is using pip, Python's package installer. Open a terminal (Command Prompt/PowerShell on Windows, Terminal on macOS/Linux) and run one of the following commands:

pip install seaborn             # Usually for Python 2, or in a virtual environment
pip3 install seaborn            # Usually for Python 3 systems
python -m pip install seaborn   # If 'pip' isn't directly in your PATH
python3 -m pip install seaborn  # Python 3, if 'pip3' isn't in your PATH
py -m pip install seaborn       # Windows 'py' launcher (selects appropriate Python)
note

The python -m pip form (or its variants) is generally the most reliable because it explicitly uses the Python interpreter you intend.

Troubleshooting​

If you still get the ModuleNotFoundError after installation, follow these troubleshooting steps:

Virtual Environments​

Are you using a virtual environment? If so, you must activate it before installing packages and before running your script.

  1. Create (if needed):

    python3 -m venv venv  # Recommended: Use the built-in 'venv'
    # OR (if the above fails)
    python -m venv venv
    # OR (Windows)
    py -m venv venv

  2. Activate:

    • Linux/macOS (bash/zsh): source venv/bin/activate

    • Windows (Command Prompt): venv\Scripts\activate.bat

    • Windows (PowerShell): venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

      If you see an "execution of scripts is disabled" error in PowerShell, run this command once (as administrator if needed) and then try activating again:

      Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

  3. Install inside the activated environment: pip install seaborn

Checking Your Python Version​

Ensure you're installing into the correct Python version:

python --version  # Or python3 --version, or py --version

If you have multiple Python versions, use the pip associated with the correct version (e.g., pip3.9 install seaborn for Python 3.9).

Verifying Installation​

Confirm seaborn is installed in the active environment:

pip show seaborn
# OR
python -m pip show seaborn

This should show package information, including the installation location. If it says "Package not found", you're either in the wrong environment, or the installation failed. Check the Location: field in the output. It should point to your virtual environment's site-packages (if using a virtual environment).

IDE Configuration (VS Code, PyCharm)​

Your IDE must be configured to use the correct Python interpreter (the one where seaborn is installed).

  • VS Code: Use the Python: Select Interpreter command from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P).
  • PyCharm: Go to File > Settings > Project > Python Interpreter (or PyCharm > Preferences > Project > Python Interpreter on macOS).

Naming Conflicts (Shadowing)​

Make sure you don't have a file or directory named seaborn.py (or seaborn) in your project directory or anywhere on your PYTHONPATH. This will "shadow" the installed seaborn package. Rename your file if this is the case.

Reinstalling Seaborn​

If you still experience problems you may try to uninstall and reinstall the package:

pip uninstall seaborn
pip install seaborn

Upgrading pip​

It is also a good idea to upgrade pip to its latest version before installing packages.

python -m pip install --upgrade pip

Installation in Specific Environments​

Anaconda​

conda install -c anaconda seaborn
  • When using Anaconda it is important to use its package manager conda.

Jupyter Notebook​

!pip install seaborn
  • You must include the ! symbol before the pip install command to install the library.

Basic Seaborn Example​

Once installed, you can import and use seaborn:

import seaborn as sns
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt # Required for showing plots

sns.set_theme()  # Apply default Seaborn theme (optional, but good practice)

# Load a sample dataset (comes with Seaborn)
tips = sns.load_dataset("tips")

# Create a relational plot
sns.relplot(
    data=tips,
    x="total_bill", y="tip", col="time",
    hue="smoker", style="smoker", size="size",
)

plt.show() # Display the plot
  • This uses the relplot() function from seaborn, and also requires matplotlib.pyplot to be imported to display the plot.

Conclusion​

The ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'seaborn' error is typically a straightforward installation issue.

This guide covered installation using pip, troubleshooting steps (especially checking virtual environments and IDE configurations), and provided installation instructions for common environments like Anaconda and Jupyter.

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the error and start using Seaborn for your data visualization needs.

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