.wsgi File Extension

What kind of file is a .wsgi?

A .wsgi file is usually a short Python deployment script that exposes a WSGI application to a compatible web server. It often imports a framework application and assigns it to a variable named application. The WSGI server then calls that object for each request.

The suffix is a convention, not part of the WSGI specification. PEP 3333 defines the interface between a Python web application and a server, but deliberately leaves the deployment mechanism to the server.¹ Apache mod_wsgi commonly demonstrates entry-point files such as myapp.wsgi, while noting that its script directive accepts any extension or none.²

Desktop MIME databases commonly classify .wsgi as text/x-python. That media type is not registered with IANA, and another system may report the same file as text/plain.³ There is no magic number. Check for readable Python syntax and the expected application callable rather than trusting the filename alone.

How do I open a .wsgi on my computer?

Open .wsgi source in any text editor on Windows, macOS, or Linux. Visual Studio Code and PyCharm can provide Python highlighting and diagnostics, although you may need to select Python language mode manually when the editor does not recognize the suffix.

Do not double-click an unfamiliar file or run it merely to inspect it. A .wsgi script is executable Python and can read secrets, alter files, start processes, or access the network. For deployment, point the chosen WSGI server at the script according to that server's documentation. With Apache mod_wsgi, WSGIScriptAlias maps a URL path to the script's full filesystem path.²

Poly support for .wsgi

Poly stores, syncs, shares, versions, and finds .wsgi files by name. Poly does not currently infer Python source from the .wsgi suffix alone.

When a file is supplied as text/x-python, it opens in Poly's code editor and its readable source is available to exact search, semantic search, and the Poly agent. Poly does not execute the application, import its project, or observe live request behavior. Include related modules and configuration when you want the agent to reason about the complete deployment.

History of .wsgi

Phillip J. Eby's original WSGI proposal, PEP 333, was created on December 7, 2003. Its goal was a simple, universal interface between Python web servers and applications.⁴ PEP 3333 followed in 2010 with Python 3 guidance and accumulated clarifications while retaining WSGI 1.0 compatibility.¹

The .wsgi filename convention grew from server deployment practice rather than the specification. It remains especially associated with Apache mod_wsgi script files, but WSGI servers can instead accept import strings, configuration, or other entry-point mechanisms.

Working with .wsgi and alternatives

Keep the script small. Import the real application, perform only essential setup, and avoid embedding secrets. Heavy application code belongs in normal Python modules where editors, tests, and packaging tools handle it naturally.

Changing .wsgi to .py only changes the filename. A real migration must also update the server configuration and preserve the callable, imports, environment, and working-directory assumptions.