Installing the Python Connector¶

To install the latest Python Connector for Snowflake, use:

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pip install snowflake-connector-python

You can download the package files directly from PyPI.

Prerequisites¶

Requires Python 3.11 or later. Wheels are published for CPython 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, and 3.14.

Installing a FIPS-supporting version¶

Before you build or use a FIPS-supporting version, review FIPS 140-3 considerations for drivers built on the Universal Core. That page describes the AWS-LC FIPS module, known deviations, behavior differences, common build requirements, verification, and SBOM responsibilities for drivers built on the Universal Core.

A FIPS-supporting version links the FIPS module into the connector. Install it from the PyPI source distribution. Prebuilt wheels are standard builds, and pip install uses a wheel by default. SNOWFLAKE_FIPS is read only while pip builds that unpacked source distribution. Building from a git checkout, including an editable install or a wheel build from that checkout, fails if the variable is set.

Pass --no-binary for this package so pip downloads the source distribution and builds it. The flag names the distribution, snowflake-connector-python, and doesn’t apply to dependencies. On Linux and macOS:

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SNOWFLAKE_FIPS=1 python -m pip install --no-binary snowflake-connector-python snowflake-connector-python

On Windows, set the variable in PowerShell, then run the same install:

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$env:SNOWFLAKE_FIPS = "1"
python -m pip install --no-binary snowflake-connector-python snowflake-connector-python

This version doesn’t build on Windows on ARM. On Linux, the module is linked into the connector. On macOS and Windows, the install places the module’s shared libraries next to the connector.

Confirm the installed build without opening a connection:

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import snowflake.connector

status = snowflake.connector.get_fips_status()
print(status.is_fips)

The value is True for a FIPS-supporting version and False for a standard version. A true value means this process loaded that version and its TLS provider is the FIPS module. It does not mean that every cryptographic operation in the process uses that module, and it does not certify the connector.

A FIPS-supporting version needs Rust 1.94.1, a C++ compiler, curl, unzip, Go 1.25, Perl, and CMake 3. curl and unzip download the protobuf compiler. To use a compiler you already have, set PROTOC to the path of that protoc binary. CMake 4 isn’t supported.

The C++ compiler depends on the platform:

• On Linux, use GCC 13. GCC 14 and GCC 15 fail to build the module. Install gcc-13 and g++-13, then set CC=gcc-13 and CXX=g++-13 for the install command. On Linux ARM64, also set CFLAGS=-fno-jump-tables and CXXFLAGS=-fno-jump-tables.
• On macOS, use Apple Clang. Set CC=clang and CXX=clang++.
• On Windows x64, use MSVC, Ninja, Perl, NASM, and LLVM Clang. Set LIBCLANG_PATH to the directory that contains libclang.dll. Put the MSVC directory that contains link.exe ahead of other link.exe programs on PATH. If you use Strawberry Perl, put C:\Strawberry\perl\bin on PATH and leave C:\Strawberry\c\bin off PATH, because its gcc shadows MSVC.