os.path.exists
Check whether a file or directory exists at the given path.
Python 3.13
os.path.exists(path)- path
- The path to the file or directory.str | PathLike
Return value
True if the path exists, otherwise False.
Examples
Existing and missing file
Python 3.13
import os
open('notes.txt', 'w').close()
print(os.path.exists('notes.txt'))
print(os.path.exists('missing.txt'))True False
A directory exists too
Python 3.13
import os
os.makedirs('reports', exist_ok=True)
print(os.path.exists('reports'), os.path.isfile('reports'))True False
Details
Files and directories are not distinguished; use os.path.isfile and os.path.isdir for that. Returns False for a broken symbolic link.