ImportError: cannot import name 'safe_indexing' from 'sklearn.utils'

TL;DR: your yellowbrick is too old for your scikit-learn. sklearn moved safe_indexing to a private module, so upgrade yellowbrick to a compatible release, or pin an older sklearn.

The error

ImportError: cannot import name 'safe_indexing' from 'sklearn.utils'

Fix it

1. Upgrade yellowbrick:

   pip install -U yellowbrick

   Expected: installs a release that works with your sklearn.

2. Verify:

   python -c "import yellowbrick; print('ok')"

   Expected: imports cleanly.

3. If you cannot upgrade yellowbrick, pin sklearn to a version that still exports the name:

   pip install "scikit-learn<1.3"

   Expected: the old import path works again.

When this applies

Use this when import yellowbrick raises this error with a recent scikit-learn.

When it does not apply

If your own code imports safeindexing from sklearn.utils, import it from sklearn.utils.indexing instead (private API, may move again). If yellowbrick is current, reinstall it.

Compatibility

yellowbrick releases before the sklearn-compat fix; scikit-learn 1.3+ where the name left sklearn.utils.

Root cause

safeindexing was always an internal helper; sklearn moved it from sklearn.utils to the private sklearn.utils.indexing module. yellowbrick imported the public-looking path, so the move broke it at import time.

Edge cases

Pinning old sklearn can break other packages that need new sklearn; upgrading yellowbrick is the durable fix. Check the yellowbrick changelog for the exact minimum version that supports your sklearn.

GitHub issue districtdatalabs/yellowbrick#1137 reports ImportError: cannot import name 'safeindexing' from 'sklearn.utils' with a modern scikit-learn installed. The verified resolution: safeindexing moved out of sklearn.utils into a private submodule, so old yellowbrick broke at import; the fix is upgrading yellowbrick to a release compatible with the installed sklearn (or pinning an older sklearn as a workaround). Full thread: https://github.com/districtdatalabs/yellowbrick/issues/1137