---
name: django-htmx
description: "Build modern dynamic web applications with Django and htmx - partial rendering, HTMX-specific responses, and seamless frontend integration"
metadata:
author: mte90
version: 1.0.0
tags:
- django
- htmx
- python
- web
- frontend
- partial-rendering
- ajax
---
# Django HTMX
Django-htmx provides seamless integration between Django and htmx for building modern, dynamic web applications without writing complex JavaScript.
## Installation
```bash
pip install django-htmx
```
Add to `INSTALLED_APPS`:
```python
INSTALLED_APPS = [
...
"django_htmx",
]
```
Add the middleware:
```python
MIDDLEWARE = [
"django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware",
"django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware",
"django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware",
"django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware",
"django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware",
"django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware",
"django_htmx.middleware.HtmxMiddleware", # Add this
...
]
```
## Core Concepts
### Request Detection
The middleware adds `request.htmx` to detect htmx requests:
```python
from django.shortcuts import render
def my_view(request):
if request.htmx:
template_name = "partial.html"
else:
template_name = "full.html"
return render(request, template_name)
```
### HtmxDetails Attributes
The `request.htmx` object provides these attributes:
- `request.htmx` - Boolean, True if request is from htmx
- `request.htmx.boosted` - True if request is from boosted element (hx-boost)
- `request.htmx.current_url` - Current URL in browser from HX-Current-URL header
- `request.htmx.current_url_abs_path` - Absolute path form of current_url
- `request.htmx.history_restore_request` - True if request is for history restoration
- `request.htmx.target` - Target element ID from HX-Target header
- `request.htmx.trigger` - Trigger element ID from HX-Trigger header
- `request.htmx.trigger_name` - Trigger element name from HX-Trigger-Name header
- `request.htmx.prompt` - User response to hx-prompt attribute
- `request.htmx.triggering_event` - Deserialized JSON from event-header extension
## Template Tags
Load and use in templates:
```django
{% load django_htmx %}
{% htmx_script %}
...
```
### Django Templates
```django
{% load django_htmx %}
{% htmx_script %}
...
```
Use `minified=False` for debugging:
```django
{% htmx_script minified=False %}
```
### Jinja2
```python
from jinja2 import Environment
from django_htmx.jinja import htmx_script
def environment(**options):
env = Environment(**options)
env.globals.update({"htmx_script": htmx_script})
return env
```
```html
{{ htmx_script() }}
```
## HTTP Response Classes
### HttpResponseClientRedirect
Triggers a client-side redirect (HX-Redirect header):
```python
from django_htmx.http import HttpResponseClientRedirect
def sensitive_view(request):
if not sudo_mode.active(request):
next_url = request.htmx.current_url_abs_path or ""
return HttpResponseClientRedirect(f"/activate-sudo/?next={next_url}")
...
```
### HttpResponseClientRefresh
Triggers a page reload (HX-Refresh header):
```python
from django_htmx.http import HttpResponseClientRefresh
def partial_table_view(request):
if page_outdated(request):
return HttpResponseClientRefresh()
...
```
### HttpResponseLocation
Makes htmx do a client-side "boosted" request (HX-Location header):
```python
from django_htmx.http import HttpResponseLocation
def wait_for_completion(request, action_id):
...
if action.completed:
return HttpResponseLocation(f"/action/{action.id}/completed/")
...
```
### HttpResponseStopPolling
Stops polling when using hx-trigger="every":
```python
from django_htmx.http import HttpResponseStopPolling
def my_pollable_view(request):
if event_finished():
return HttpResponseStopPolling()
...
```
Or use the constant directly:
```python
from django_htmx.http import HTMX_STOP_POLLING
from django.shortcuts import render
def my_pollable_view(request):
if event_finished():
return render(request, "event-finished.html", status=HTMX_STOP_POLLING)
...
```
## Response Modifying Functions
### push_url
Push a new URL to the browser history:
```python
from django_htmx.http import push_url
def leaf(request, leaf_id):
...
if leaf is None:
response = branch(request, branch=leaf.branch)
return push_url(response, f"/branch/{leaf.branch.id}")
...
```
### replace_url
Replace the current URL in browser history:
```python
from django_htmx.http import replace_url
def dashboard(request):
...
response = render(request, "dashboard.html", ...)
return replace_url(response, "/dashboard/")
```
### reswap
Override the swap method:
```python
from django.shortcuts import render
from django_htmx.http import reswap
def employee_table_row(request):
...
response = render(...)
if employee.is_boss:
reswap(response, "afterbegin")
return response
```
### retarget
Override the target element:
```python
from django.shortcuts import render
from django.views.decorators.http import require_POST
from django_htmx.http import retarget
@require_POST
def add_widget(request):
...
if form.is_valid():
response = render(request, "widget-table.html", ...)
return retarget(response, "#widgets")
return render(request, "widget-table-row.html", ...)
```
### reselect
Override the content selection:
```python
from django_htmx.http import reselect
def update_table(request):
response = render(request, "table.html", ...)
return reselect(response, "tbody")
```
### trigger_client_event
Trigger client-side events:
```python
from django.shortcuts import render
from django_htmx.http import trigger_client_event
def end_of_long_process(request):
response = render(request, "end-of-long-process.html")
return trigger_client_event(
response,
"showConfetti",
{"colours": ["purple", "red", "pink"]},
after="swap", # "receive", "settle", or "swap"
)
```
## Best Practices
### Partial Rendering
Use django-template-partials for efficient partial rendering:
```bash
pip install django-template-partials
```
```django
{% extends "_base.html" %}
{% load partials %}
{% block main %}
{% partialdef country-table inline %}
{% endpartialdef %}
{% endblock main %}
```
In views:
```python
def country_listing(request):
template_name = "countries.html"
if request.htmx:
template_name += "#country-table"
countries = Country.objects.all()
return render(request, template_name, {"countries": countries})
```
### Swapping Base Template
```python
def partial_rendering(request):
if request.htmx:
base_template = "_partial.html"
else:
base_template = "_base.html"
return render(request, "page.html", {"base_template": base_template})
```
```django
{% extends base_template %}
{% block main %}
...
{% endblock %}
```
### CSRF Protection
Always include CSRF token in htmx requests:
```html
```
### Caching with HTMX
Add appropriate Vary headers for cacheable responses:
```python
from django.shortcuts import render
from django.views.decorators.cache import cache_control
from django.views.decorators.vary import vary_on_headers
@cache_control(max_age=300)
@vary_on_headers("HX-Request")
def my_view(request):
if request.htmx:
template_name = "partial.html"
else:
template_name = "complete.html"
return render(request, template_name, ...)
```
### HTMX Extensions
Download extensions locally (avoid CDNs):
```bash
curl -L https://unpkg.com/htmx-ext-ws/dist/ws.min.js -o static/htmx-ext-ws.min.js
```
```django
{% load django_htmx static %}
{% htmx_script %}
...
```
## Type Checking
For type-checking, extend HttpRequest:
```python
from django.http import HttpRequest as HttpRequestBase
from django_htmx.middleware import HtmxDetails
class HttpRequest(HttpRequestBase):
htmx: HtmxDetails
```
## References
- **Official Documentation**: https://django-htmx.readthedocs.io/
- **GitHub Repository**: https://github.com/adamchainz/django-htmx
- **htmx Reference**: https://htmx.org/reference/