importerror: `import openpyxl` failed. use pip or conda to install the openpyxl package.

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Short answer: pandas needs the optional openpyxl package to read and write .xlsx files. Install it in the same environment, then rerun. `` ImportError: Missing optional dependency 'openpyxl'. Use pip or conda to install openpyxl. 1. Run python -m pip install openpyxl (conda users: conda install openpyxl). In a Jupyter notebook use !pip install openpyxl and then restart the kernel. Expected: install completes cleanly. 2. Verify with python -c "import openpyxl; print(openpyxl.version)". Expected: a version number prints. 3. Rerun pd.readexcel("file.xlsx"). Expected: a DataFrame, no ImportError. 4. If the error persists, you installed into a different interpreter. Check python -c "import sys; print(sys.executable)" and reinstall using that Python's -m pip. Root cause: pandas treats Excel engines as optional to keep the base install small. The error message names the missing engine, so there is nothing to diagnose beyond installing it. When to use: reading or writing .xlsx files with pandas. When NOT to use: legacy .xls files need xlrd, and .ods files need odfpy`, openpyxl will not help there. Variant phrasings: "importerror missing optional dependency openpyxl", "pandas readexcel openpyxl", "use pip or conda to install openpyxl". Edge cases: on managed platforms that block pip installs (some notebook hosts, workflow tools) you cannot install it yourself, check the platform's package policy instead.

Context: pandas deliberately keeps Excel support out of its base install and loads it as an optional dependency. When you call pd.read_excel on an .xlsx file without openpyxl installed, pandas raises this ImportError and tells you exactly what to install. The fix is one install command in the right environment.

Source: pandas deliberately keeps Excel support out of its base install and loads it as an optional dependency. When you call pd.read_excel on an .xlsx file without openpyxl installed, pandas raises this ImportError and tells you exactly what to install. The fix is one install command in the right environment.

Verified resolution: Short answer: pandas needs the optional openpyxl package to read and write .xlsx files. Install it in the same environment, then rerun. `` ImportError: Missing optional dependency 'openpyxl'. Use pip or conda to install openpyxl. 1. Run python -m pip install openpyxl (conda users: conda install openpyxl). In a Jupyter notebook use !pip install openpyxl and then restart the kernel. Expected: install completes cleanly. 2. Verify with python -c "import openpyxl; print(openpyxl.version)". Expected: a version number prints. 3. Rerun pd.readexcel("file.xlsx"). Expected: a DataFrame, no ImportError. 4. If the error persists, you installed into a different interpreter. Check python -c "import sys; print(sys.executable)" and reinstall using that Python's -m pip. Root cause: pandas treats Excel engines as optional to keep the base install small. The error message names the missing engine, so there is nothing to diagnose beyond installing it. When to use: reading or writing .xlsx files with pandas. When NOT to use: legacy .xls files need xlrd, and .ods files need odfpy`, openpyxl will not help there. Variant phrasings: "importerror missing optional dependency openpyxl", "pandas readexcel openpyxl", "use pip or conda to install openpyxl". Edge cases: on managed platforms that block pip installs (some notebook hosts, workflow tools) you cannot install it yourself, check the platform's package policy instead.

Source URL: https://pandas.pydata.org/docs/getting_started/install.html