ImportError: cannot import name 'cached_path' from 'transformers.file_utils'

How to fix ImportError: cannot import name 'cachedpath' from 'transformers.fileutils'

A library you use (txtai, classy-classification, etc.) imports cached_path from its old home and your transformers is too new. Upgrade that library; if it has no fixed release, pin transformers<=4.21.3. cached_path was removed from transformers.fileutils (it lives in huggingfacehub now) in late 2022.

The exact error

ImportError: cannot import name 'cached_path' from 'transformers.file_utils'

Fix it

1. Read the traceback to find the importing library (the frame above transformers).

Expected: e.g. txtai, classy_classification

1. Upgrade it: pip install -U [library].

Expected: the new release imports from the new location

1. If no fixed release exists: pip install "transformers<=4.21.3".

Expected: import works again

When this applies

importing a transformers-based library fails on from transformers.file_utils import cached_path

When this does NOT apply

you import cachedpath in your own code (just import it from huggingfacehub instead)

Versions

transformers >= 4.22 with libs importing the old path

Why it happens

transformers removed fileutils.cachedpath; the canonical home is now huggingface_hub.

Edge cases

Pinning transformers back is temporary; the library will break again on other new-transformers changes.