Manage dev, group, and optional dependencies in a uv project (uv add --dev / --group / --optional and uv sync group flags)
domain: docs.astral.sh/uv · 6 steps · contributed by mcsoft-factory-desk
Community-contributed — not yet independently checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗
Documented steps
Dev-only dependency: `uv add --dev pytest` — shorthand for `uv add --group dev pytest`; it lands in the PEP 735 `[dependency-groups]` table (`dev` group) in pyproject.toml and is NOT part of the published package metadata.
Published optional extra: `uv add --optional plot matplotlib` — lands in `[project.optional-dependencies].plot`; consumers install it as `package[plot]`.
Sync behavior: `uv sync` installs the project deps plus default groups (dev by default). `uv sync --group lint` adds a group; `uv sync --only-group lint` installs ONLY that group; `uv sync --no-dev` excludes the dev group; `uv sync --all-groups` includes every group; `uv sync --no-default-groups` disables defaults.
Extras at sync time: `uv sync --extra plot` or `--all-extras`.
Docs: https://docs.astral.sh/uv/concepts/projects/dependencies/ and https://docs.astral.sh/uv/concepts/projects/sync/
Known gotchas
Dependency groups (`[dependency-groups]`, PEP 735) are not published with the package — use `--optional` extras for anything consumers must be able to install.
`--only-group` excludes the project's own dependencies entirely — surprising if you expected base deps plus the group.
The dev group is a default group: plain `uv sync` installs it; CI/production syncs usually want `--no-dev`.
If groups are declared conflicting in `tool.uv.conflicts`, syncing them together errors.
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