Python Project Cleaner is a VS Code extension that scans Python workspaces and generates a simple project health report.
It helps catch common project cleanup issues like missing .gitignore files, missing dependency files, __pycache__ folders, large files, missing README files, and possible dependency mismatches.
Install from the VS Code Marketplace
Overview
Python Project Cleaner is built for developers who want a quick way to inspect the structure and hygiene of a Python project directly inside VS Code.
It currently checks for:
- Missing
.gitignore - Missing
requirements.txtorpyproject.toml - Missing virtual environment folder
- Missing
README.md - Python
__pycache__folders - Large files at or above a configurable threshold
- Possible missing dependencies based on Python imports
- Possible unused dependencies listed in
requirements.txt
It also includes helper commands to clean up cache folders and generate starter project files.
Demo

Screenshots
Safe Cache Cleanup
Cache cleanup asks for confirmation before deleting detected __pycache__ folders.

Configuration
Large file thresholds and ignored folders can be configured from VS Code settings.

Features
Project Health Report
Run:
Python Project Cleaner: Run Health Check
The report includes:
- Project health score
- Detected project hygiene issues
- Warning summary
- Suggested fixes
- Large file report
- Dependency analysis report
Cache Folder Cleanup
Run:
Python Project Cleaner: Delete __pycache__ Folders
Scans the workspace for Python __pycache__ folders and deletes them after confirmation.
Starter .gitignore Generator
Run:
Python Project Cleaner: Create Python .gitignore
Creates a starter Python .gitignore file if one does not already exist.
Starter requirements.txt Generator
Run:
Python Project Cleaner: Create requirements.txt
Creates a starter requirements.txt file if neither requirements.txt nor pyproject.toml exists.
Dependency Analysis
Python Project Cleaner compares imports found in .py files against dependencies listed in requirements.txt.
It can report:
- Possible missing dependencies
- Possible unused dependencies
These results are marked as possible because static dependency analysis can produce false positives.
Example Report
# Python Project Health Report
**Score:** 75/100
**Workspace:** C:\Users\example\Desktop\my-python-project
## Checks
- ✅ .gitignore found
- ✅ Dependency file found
- ✅ Virtual environment found
- ✅ README.md found
- ⚠️ Python cache folders: 2
- ✅ Large files: 0
## Warnings
- 2 Python cache folder(s) found.
- 1 possible missing dependency issue(s) found.
## Suggested Fixes
- Run `Python Project Cleaner: Delete __pycache__ Folders`.
- Review possible missing dependencies and add them to `requirements.txt` if needed.
## Dependency Analysis
### Imported Packages
- fastapi
- pydantic
- requests
### Listed Dependencies
- fastapi
- pydantic
### Possible Missing Dependencies
- requests
### Possible Unused Dependencies
None found.
Extension Settings
Python Project Cleaner contributes the following settings:
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
pythonProjectCleaner.largeFileThresholdMb |
Minimum file size in MiB for a file to be reported as large. | 10 |
pythonProjectCleaner.ignoredFolders |
Folder names to skip while scanning the workspace. | .git, .venv, venv, env, node_modules, __pycache__ |
Requirements
No external setup is required.
Open a Python project folder in VS Code and run a Python Project Cleaner command from the Command Palette.
Limitations
- The extension scans folders synchronously, so very large workspaces may take longer to analyze.
- The health score is heuristic and should be treated as a general project hygiene estimate.
- Dependency analysis is static and may produce false positives.
- Some dependencies are used through command-line tools, plugins, dynamic imports, or framework configuration rather than direct Python imports.
Roadmap
Planned improvements:
- Better dependency analysis for
pyproject.toml - More accurate local module detection
- File size display in the large file report
- Additional project structure checks
- More configurable health scoring
- Optional dependency suggestions based on detected imports
Release Notes
See CHANGELOG.md for full version history.
Current release: 1.1.0
Contributing
Contributions, feedback, and suggestions are welcome.
See CONTRIBUTING.md for setup instructions.
License
This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.