onvif-python
Advanced tools
This project provides a comprehensive and developer-friendly Python library for working with ONVIF-compliant devices. It is designed to be reliable, easy to integrate, and flexible enough to support a wide range of ONVIF profiles and services.
ONVIF (Open Network Video Interface Forum) is a global standard for the interface of IP-based physical security products, including network cameras, video recorders, and related systems.
Behind the scenes, ONVIF communication relies on SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) — an XML-based messaging protocol with strict schema definitions (WSDL/XSD). SOAP ensures interoperability, but when used directly it can be verbose, complex, and error-prone.
This library simplifies that process by wrapping SOAP communication into a clean, Pythonic API. You no longer need to handle low-level XML parsing, namespaces, or security tokens manually — the library takes care of it, letting you focus on building functionality.
[!NOTE] This library will be continuously updated as ONVIF versions are updated. It uses a built-in WSDL that will always follow changes to the ONVIF WSDL Specifications. You can also use your own ONVIF WSDL file by adding the
wsdl_dirargument; see ONVIFClient Parameters.
WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get): Every ONVIF operation in the library mirrors the official ONVIF specification exactly. Method names, parameter structures, and response formats follow ONVIF standards without abstraction layers or renamed interfaces. What you see in the ONVIF documentation is exactly what you get in Python.
Device Variety Interoperability: Built to handle the real-world diversity of ONVIF implementations across manufacturers. The library gracefully handles missing features, optional operations, and vendor-specific behaviors through comprehensive error handling and fallback mechanisms. Whether you're working with high-end enterprise cameras or budget IP cameras, the library adapts.
Official Specifications Accuracy: All service implementations are generated and validated against official ONVIF WSDL Specifications. The library includes comprehensive test suites that verify compliance with ONVIF standards, ensuring that method signatures, parameter types, and behavior match the official specifications precisely.
Modern Python Approach: Designed for excellent IDE support with full type hints, auto-completion, and immediate error detection. You'll get TypeError exceptions upfront when accessing ONVIF operations with wrong arguments, instead of cryptic SOAP faults later. Clean, Pythonic API that feels natural to Python developers while maintaining ONVIF compatibility.
Minimal Dependencies: Only depends on essential, well-maintained libraries (zeep for SOAP, requests for HTTP). No bloated framework dependencies or custom XML parsers. The library stays lightweight while providing full ONVIF functionality, making it easy to integrate into any project without dependency conflicts.
zeep>=4.3.0 - SOAP client for ONVIF communicationrequests>=2.32.0 - HTTP library for network requestsFrom official PyPI:
pip install --upgrade onvif-python
Or clone this repository and install locally:
git clone https://github.com/nirsimetri/onvif-python
cd onvif-python
pip install .
[!TIP] You can view the complete documentation automatically generated by DeepWiki via the onvif-python AI Wiki link. We currently do not have an official documentation site. Help us create more examples and helpful documentation by contributing.
Below are simple examples to help you get started with the ONVIF Python library. These demonstrate how to discover and connect to ONVIF-compliant devices and retrieve basic device information.
1. Discover ONVIF Devices (Optional)
Use ONVIFDiscovery (applied at >=v0.1.6) to automatically find ONVIF devices on your local network:
from onvif import ONVIFDiscovery
# Create discovery instance
discovery = ONVIFDiscovery(timeout=5)
# Discover devices
devices = discovery.discover()
# Or with
# Discover with search filter by types or scopes (case-insensitive substring match)
devices = discovery.discover(search="Profile/Streaming")
# Display discovered devices
for device in devices:
print(f"Found device at {device['host']}:{device['port']}")
print(f" Scopes: {device.get('scopes', [])}")
print(f" XAddrs: {device['xaddrs']}")
2. Initialize the ONVIFClient
Create an instance of ONVIFClient by providing your device's IP address, port, username, and password:
from onvif import ONVIFClient
# Basic connection
client = ONVIFClient("192.168.1.17", 8000, "admin", "admin123")
# With custom WSDL directory (optional)
client = ONVIFClient(
"192.168.1.17", 8000, "admin", "admin123",
wsdl_dir="/path/to/custom/wsdl" # Use custom WSDL files in this path
)
3. Create Service Instance
ONVIFClient provides several main services that can be accessed via the following methods:
client.devicemgmt() — Device Managementclient.events() — Eventsclient.imaging() — Imagingclient.media() — Mediaclient.ptz() — PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom)client.analytics() — Analyticsand so on, check Implemented ONVIF Services for more details
Example usage:
device = client.devicemgmt() # Device Management (Core)
media = client.media() # Media
4. Get Device Information
Retrieve basic information about the device, such as manufacturer, model, firmware version, and serial number using devicemgmt() service:
info = device.GetDeviceInformation()
print(info)
# Example output: {'Manufacturer': '..', 'Model': '..', 'FirmwareVersion': '..', 'SerialNumber': '..'}
5. Get RTSP URL
Retrieve the RTSP stream URL for live video streaming from the device using media() service:
profile = media.GetProfiles()[0] # use the first profile
stream = media.GetStreamUri(
ProfileToken=profile.token,
StreamSetup={"Stream": "RTP-Unicast", "Transport": {"Protocol": "RTSP"}}
)
print(stream)
# Example output: {'Uri': 'rtsp://192.168.1.17:8554/Streaming/Channels/101', ...}
Explore more advanced usage and service-specific operations in the examples/ folder.
Every ONVIF service provides three essential helper methods to improve the development experience and make working with ONVIF operations more intuitive:
1. type(type_name)
Creates and returns an instance of the specified ONVIF type for building complex request parameters (applied at >=v0.1.9).
Usage:
device = client.devicemgmt()
# Create a new user object
new_user = device.type('CreateUsers')
new_user.User.append({
"Username": 'new_user',
"Password": 'new_password',
"UserLevel": 'User'
})
device.CreateUsers(new_user)
# Set hostname
hostname = device.type('SetHostname')
hostname.Name = 'NewHostname'
device.SetHostname(hostname)
# Configure system time
time_params = device.type('SetSystemDateAndTime')
time_params.DateTimeType = 'NTP'
time_params.DaylightSavings = True
time_params.TimeZone.TZ = 'UTC+02:00'
now = datetime.now()
time_params.UTCDateTime.Date.Year = now.year
time_params.UTCDateTime.Date.Month = now.month
time_params.UTCDateTime.Date.Day = now.day
time_params.UTCDateTime.Time.Hour = now.hour
time_params.UTCDateTime.Time.Minute = now.minute
time_params.UTCDateTime.Time.Second = now.second
device.SetSystemDateAndTime(time_params)
2. operations()
Lists all available operations for the current service (applied at >=v0.2.0).
Returns:
Usage:
device = client.devicemgmt()
media = client.media()
ptz = client.ptz()
# List all available operations for each service
print("Device Management Operations:")
for op in device.operations():
print(f" - {op}")
print("\nMedia Operations:")
for op in media.operations():
print(f" - {op}")
print("\nPTZ Operations:")
for op in ptz.operations():
print(f" - {op}")
# Check if specific operation is supported
if 'ContinuousMove' in ptz.operations():
print("PTZ continuous movement is supported")
3. desc(method_name)
Provides comprehensive documentation and parameter information for any ONVIF operation (applied at >=v0.2.0).
Returns:
doc: Method documentation from WSDLrequired: List of required parameter namesoptional: List of optional parameter namesmethod_name: The method nameservice_name: The service nameUsage:
device = client.devicemgmt()
# Get detailed information about a method
info = device.desc('GetDeviceInformation')
print(info['doc'])
print("Required params:", info['required'])
print("Optional params:", info['optional'])
# Explore available methods first
methods = device.operations()
for method in methods[:5]: # Show first 5 methods
info = device.desc(method)
print(f"{method}: {len(info['required'])} required, {len(info['optional'])} optional")
[!TIP] These helper methods are available on all ONVIF services (
devicemgmt(),media(),ptz(),events(),imaging(),analytics(), etc.) and provide a consistent API for exploring and using ONVIF capabilities across different device types and manufacturers.
[!IMPORTANT] If you're new to ONVIF and want to learn more, we highly recommend taking the official free online course provided by ONVIF at Introduction to ONVIF Course. Please note that we are not endorsed or sponsored by ONVIF, see Legal Notice for details.
[!NOTE] The CLI is automatically installed when you install the
onvif-pythonsee Installation. This feature has been available sinceonvif-pythonversion>=0.1.1.
This library includes a powerful command-line interface (CLI) for interacting with ONVIF devices directly from your terminal. It supports both direct command execution and an interactive shell mode, providing a flexible and efficient way to manage and debug ONVIF devices.
|
|
| Onboarding | List available operations |
|---|
usage: onvif [-h] [--host HOST] [--port PORT] [--username USERNAME] [--password PASSWORD] [--discover] [--filter FILTER] [--search SEARCH] [--page PAGE]
[--per-page PER_PAGE] [--timeout TIMEOUT] [--https] [--no-verify] [--no-patch] [--interactive] [--debug] [--wsdl WSDL]
[--cache {all,db,mem,none}] [--health-check-interval HEALTH_CHECK_INTERVAL] [--output OUTPUT] [--version]
[service] [method] [params ...]
ONVIF Terminal Client — v0.2.10
https://github.com/nirsimetri/onvif-python
positional arguments:
service ONVIF service name (e.g., devicemgmt, media, ptz)
method Service method name (e.g., GetCapabilities, GetProfiles)
params Method parameters as Simple Parameter or JSON string
options:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
--host HOST, -H HOST ONVIF device IP address or hostname
--port PORT, -P PORT ONVIF device port (default: 80)
--username USERNAME, -u USERNAME
Username for authentication
--password PASSWORD, -p PASSWORD
Password for authentication
--discover, -d Discover ONVIF devices on the network using WS-Discovery
--filter FILTER, -f FILTER
Filter discovered devices by types or scopes (case-insensitive substring match)
--search SEARCH, -s SEARCH
Search ONVIF products database by model or company (e.g., 'c210', 'hikvision')
--page PAGE Page number for search results (default: 1)
--per-page PER_PAGE Number of results per page (default: 20)
--timeout TIMEOUT Connection timeout in seconds (default: 10)
--https Use HTTPS instead of HTTP
--no-verify Disable SSL certificate verification
--no-patch Disable ZeepPatcher
--interactive, -i Start interactive mode
--debug Enable debug mode with XML capture
--wsdl WSDL Custom WSDL directory path
--cache {all,db,mem,none}
Caching mode for ONVIFClient (default: all). 'all': memory+disk, 'db': disk-only, 'mem': memory-only, 'none': disabled.
--health-check-interval HEALTH_CHECK_INTERVAL, -hci HEALTH_CHECK_INTERVAL
Health check interval in seconds for interactive mode (default: 10)
--output OUTPUT, -o OUTPUT
Save command output to file. Supports .json, .xml extensions for format detection, or plain text. XML format automatically enables
debug mode for SOAP capture.
--version, -v Show ONVIF CLI version and exit
Examples:
# Product search
onvif --search c210
onvif -s "axis camera"
onvif --search hikvision --page 2 --per-page 5
# Discover ONVIF devices on network
onvif --discover --username admin --password admin123 --interactive
onvif media GetProfiles --discover --username admin
onvif -d -i
# Discover with filtering
onvif --discover --filter ptz --interactive
onvif -d -f "C210" -i
onvif -d -f "audio_encoder" -u admin -p admin123 -i
# Direct command execution
onvif devicemgmt GetCapabilities Category=All --host 192.168.1.17 --port 8000 --username admin --password admin123
onvif ptz ContinuousMove ProfileToken=Profile_1 Velocity={'PanTilt': {'x': -0.1, 'y': 0}} -H 192.168.1.17 -P 8000 -u admin -p admin123
# Save output to file
onvif devicemgmt GetDeviceInformation --host 192.168.1.17 --port 8000 --username admin --password admin123 --output device_info.json
onvif media GetProfiles --host 192.168.1.17 --port 8000 --username admin --password admin123 --output profiles.xml
onvif ptz GetConfigurations --host 192.168.1.17 --port 8000 --username admin --password admin123 --output ptz_config.txt --debug
# Interactive mode
onvif --host 192.168.1.17 --port 8000 --username admin --password admin123 --interactive
# Prompting for username and password
# (if not provided)
onvif -H 192.168.1.17 -P 8000 -i
# Using HTTPS
onvif media GetProfiles --host camera.example.com --port 443 --username admin --password admin123 --https
ONVIF Interactive Shell — v0.2.10
https://github.com/nirsimetri/onvif-python
Basic Commands:
capabilities, caps - Show device capabilities
services - Show available services with details
info - Show connection and device information
exit, quit - Exit the shell
shortcuts - Show available shortcuts
Navigation Commands:
<service> - Enter service mode (e.g., devicemgmt, media)
<service> <argument> - Enter service mode with argument (e.g. pullpoint SubscriptionRef=<value>)
cd <service> - Enter service mode (alias)
ls - List commands/services/methods in grid format
up - Exit current service mode (go up one level)
pwd - Show current service context
clear - Clear terminal screen
help <command> - Show help for a specific command
Service Mode Commands:
desc <method> - Show method documentation
type <method> - Show input/output types from WSDL
Method Execution:
<method> - Execute method without parameters
<method> {"param": "value"} - Execute method with JSON parameters
<method> param=value - Execute method with simple parameters
Data Management:
store <name> - Store last result with a name
show <name> - Show stored data
show <name>[0] - Show element at index (for lists)
show <name>.attribute - Show specific attribute
show - List all stored data
rm <name> - Remove stored data by name
cls - Clear all stored data
Using Stored Data in Methods:
Use $variable syntax to reference stored data in method parameters:
- $profiles[0].token - Access list element and attribute
- $profiles[0].VideoSourceConfiguration.SourceToken
Example:
GetProfiles - Get profiles
store profiles - Store result
show profiles[0].token - Show first profile token
GetImagingSettings VideoSourceToken=$profiles[0].VideoSourceConfiguration.SourceToken
Debug Commands:
debug - Show last SOAP request & response (if --debug enabled)
Tab Completion:
Use TAB key for auto-completion of commands, services, and methods
Type partial commands to see suggestions
Examples:
192.168.1.17:8000 > caps # Show capabilities
192.168.1.17:8000 > dev<TAB> # Completes to 'devicemgmt'
192.168.1.17:8000 > cd devicemgmt # Enter device management
192.168.1.17:8000/devicemgmt > Get<TAB> # Show methods starting with 'Get'
192.168.1.17:8000/devicemgmt > GetServices {"IncludeCapability": true}
192.168.1.17:8000/devicemgmt > GetServices IncludeCapability=True
192.168.1.17:8000/devicemgmt > store services_info
192.168.1.17:8000/devicemgmt > up # Exit service mode
192.168.1.17:8000 > # Back to root context
1. Interactive Mode
The interactive shell is recommended for exploration and debugging. It provides an intuitive way to navigate services, call methods, and view results.
To start the interactive shell, provide the connection details:
onvif --host 192.168.1.17 --port 8000 --username admin --password admin123 -i
If you omit the username or password, you will be prompted to enter them securely.
Interactive Shell Commands:
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
help | Show help information |
ls | List available services or methods in the current context |
cd <service> | Enter a service mode (e.g., cd devicemgmt) |
up | Go back to the root context |
pwd | Show the current service context |
desc <method> | Show documentation for a method |
store <name> | Store the last result with a variable name |
show <name> | Display a stored variable |
exit / quit | Exit the shell |
[!IMPORTANT] You can see all the other commands available in the interactive shell by trying it out directly. The interactive shell runs periodic background health checks to detect connection loss. It uses silent TCP pings to avoid interrupting your work and will automatically exit if the device is unreachable, similar to an SSH session.
Command Chaining with &&:
The CLI supports chaining multiple commands in a single line using the && operator, allowing you to execute sequential operations efficiently:
# Enter service and execute method in one line
192.168.1.17:8000 > media && GetProfiles && store profiles
# Chain multiple method calls
192.168.1.17:8000 > devicemgmt && GetDeviceInformation && store device_info
# Complex workflow
192.168.1.17:8000 > media && GetProfiles && store profiles && up && imaging && GetImagingSettings VideoSourceToken=$profiles[0].VideoSourceConfiguration.SourceToken
This feature is particularly useful for:
2. Device Discovery (WS-Discovery)
The CLI includes automatic ONVIF device discovery using the WS-Discovery protocol. This feature allows you to find all ONVIF-compliant devices on your local network without knowing their IP addresses beforehand (applied at >=v0.1.2).
Discover and Connect Interactively:
# Discover devices and enter interactive mode
onvif --discover --username admin --password admin123 --interactive
# Short form
onvif -d -u admin -p admin123 -i
# Discover with search filter
onvif --discover --filter "C210" --interactive
onvif -d -f ptz -u admin -p admin123 -i
# Discover and interactive (will prompt for credentials)
onvif -d -i
Discover and Execute Command:
# Discover devices and execute a command on the selected device
onvif media GetProfiles --discover --username admin --password admin123
# Short form
onvif media GetProfiles -d -u admin -p admin123
How Device Discovery Works:
239.255.255.250:3702Example Discovery Output:
Discovering ONVIF devices on network...
Network interface: 192.168.1.100
Timeout: 4s
Found 2 ONVIF device(s):
[1] 192.168.1.14:2020
[id] 3fa1fe68-b915-4053-a3e1-a8294833fe3c
[xaddrs] [http://192.168.1.14:2020/onvif/device_service]
[types] [tdn:NetworkVideoTransmitter]
[scopes] [name/C210] [hardware/C210] [Profile/Streaming] [location/Hong Kong]
[2] 192.168.1.17:8000
[id] 7d04ff31-61e6-11f0-a00c-6056eef47207
[xaddrs] [http://192.168.1.17:8000/onvif/device_service]
[types] [dn:NetworkVideoTransmitter] [tds:Device]
[scopes] [type/NetworkVideoTransmitter] [location/unknown] [name/IPC_123465959]
Select device number 1-2 or q to quit: 1
Selected: 192.168.1.14:2020
Notes:
--host and --port arguments are not required when using --discover--username and --password upfront to avoid prompts3. Direct Command Execution
You can also execute a single ONVIF command directly. This is useful for scripting or quick checks.
Syntax:
onvif <service> <method> [parameters...] -H <host> -P <port> -u <user> -p <pass>
Example:
# Get device capabilities
onvif devicemgmt GetCapabilities Category=All -H 192.168.1.17 -P 8000 -u admin -p admin123
# Move a PTZ camera
onvif ptz ContinuousMove ProfileToken=Profile_1 Velocity='{"PanTilt": {"x": 0.1, "y": 0}}' -H 192.168.1.17 -P 8000 -u admin -p admin123
# Save output to file
onvif devicemgmt GetDeviceInformation --host 192.168.1.17 --port 8000 --username admin --password admin123 --output device_info.json
onvif media GetProfiles -H 192.168.1.17 -P 8000 -u admin -p admin123 -o profiles.xml
4. ONVIF Product Search
The CLI includes a built-in database of ONVIF-compatible products that can be searched to help identify and research devices before connecting (applied at >=v0.2.0).
Basic Search:
# Search by model name
onvif --search "C210"
onvif -s "axis camera"
# Search by manufacturer
onvif --search "hikvision"
onvif -s "dahua"
# Search by any keyword
onvif --search "ptz"
onvif -s "thermal"
Paginated Results:
# Navigate through multiple pages of results
onvif --search "hikvision" --page 2 --per-page 5
onvif -s "axis" --page 1 --per-page 10
# Adjust results per page (1-100)
onvif --search "camera" --per-page 20
Search Database Information:
The product database contains comprehensive information about tested ONVIF devices:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| ID | Unique product identifier |
| Test Date | When the device was last tested/verified |
| Model | Device model name and number |
| Firmware | Tested firmware version |
| Profiles | Supported ONVIF profiles (S, G, T, C, A, etc.) |
| Category | Device type (Camera, NVR, etc.) |
| Type | Specific device classification |
| Company | Manufacturer name |
Example Output:
Found 15 product(s) matching: hikvision
Showing 1-10 of 15 results
ID | Test Date | Model | Firmware | Profiles | Category | Type | Company
----|---------------------|-------------------|----------|----------|----------|---------|---------
342 | 2024-08-15 17:53:12 | DS-2CD2143G2-IU | V5.7.3 | S,G,T | Camera | device | Hikvision
341 | 2024-08-14 14:22:05 | DS-2DE2A404IW-DE3 | V5.6.15 | S,G,T | Camera | device | Hikvision
...
Page 1 of 2
Navigation: Next: --page 2
All ONVIFClient parameters (like --timeout, --https, --cache, etc.) are available as command-line arguments. Use onvif --help to see all available options.
The ONVIFClient class provides various configuration options to customize the connection behavior, caching strategy, security settings, and debugging capabilities. Below is a detailed description of all available parameters:
| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
host | str | ✅ Yes | - | IP address or hostname of the ONVIF device (e.g., "192.168.1.17") |
port | int | ✅ Yes | - | Port number for ONVIF service (common ports: 80, 8000, 8080) |
username | str | ✅ Yes | - | Username for device authentication (use digest authentication) |
password | str | ✅ Yes | - | Password for device authentication |
| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
timeout | int | ❌ No | 10 | Connection timeout in seconds for SOAP requests |
use_https | bool | ❌ No | False | Use HTTPS instead of HTTP for secure communication |
verify_ssl | bool | ❌ No | True | Verify SSL certificates when using HTTPS (set to False for self-signed certificates) |
| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
cache | CacheMode | ❌ No | CacheMode.ALL | WSDL caching strategy (see Cache Modes below) |
| Parameter | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
apply_patch | bool | ❌ No | True | Enable zeep patching for better xsd:any field parsing and automatic flattening, applied at (>=v0.0.4) |
capture_xml | bool | ❌ No | False | Enable XML capture plugin for debugging SOAP requests/responses, applied at (>=v0.0.6) |
wsdl_dir | str | ❌ No | None | Custom WSDL directory path for using external WSDL files instead of built-in ones (e.g., /path/to/custom/wsdl), applied at (>=v0.1.0) |
The library provides four caching strategies via the CacheMode enum:
| Mode | Description | Best For | Startup Speed | Disk Usage | Memory Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CacheMode.ALL | In-memory + disk cache (SQLite) | Production servers, multi-device apps | Fast | High | High |
CacheMode.DB | Disk cache only (SQLite) | Batch jobs, CLI tools | Medium | Medium | Low |
CacheMode.MEM | In-memory cache only | Short-lived scripts, demos | Medium | None | Medium |
CacheMode.NONE | No caching | Testing, debugging | Slow | None | Low |
Recommendation: Use CacheMode.ALL (default) for production applications to maximize performance.
Basic Connection:
from onvif import ONVIFClient
# Minimal configuration
client = ONVIFClient("192.168.1.17", 80, "admin", "password")
Secure Connection (HTTPS):
from onvif import ONVIFClient
# Connect via HTTPS with custom timeout
client = ONVIFClient(
"your-cctv-node.viewplexus.com",
443, # HTTPS port
"admin",
"password",
timeout=30,
use_https=True
)
Performance Optimized (Memory Cache):
from onvif import ONVIFClient, CacheMode
# Use memory-only cache for quick scripts
client = ONVIFClient(
"192.168.1.17",
80,
"admin",
"password",
cache=CacheMode.MEM
)
No Caching and No Zeep Patching (Testing):
from onvif import ONVIFClient, CacheMode
# Disable all caching for testing
client = ONVIFClient(
"192.168.1.17",
80,
"admin",
"password",
cache=CacheMode.NONE,
apply_patch=False # Use original zeep behavior
)
Debugging Mode (XML Capture):
from onvif import ONVIFClient
# Enable XML capture for debugging
client = ONVIFClient(
"192.168.1.17",
80,
"admin",
"password",
capture_xml=True # Captures all SOAP requests/responses
)
# Make some ONVIF calls
device = client.devicemgmt()
info = device.GetDeviceInformation()
services = device.GetCapabilities()
# Access the XML capture plugin
if client.xml_plugin:
# Get last captured request/response
print("Last Request XML:")
print(client.xml_plugin.last_sent_xml)
print("\nLast Response XML:")
print(client.xml_plugin.last_received_xml)
print(f"\nLast Operation: {client.xml_plugin.last_operation}")
# Get complete history of all requests/responses
print(f"\nTotal captured operations: {len(client.xml_plugin.history)}")
for item in client.xml_plugin.history:
print(f" - {item['operation']} ({item['type']})")
# Save captured XML to files
client.xml_plugin.save_to_file(
request_file="last_request.xml",
response_file="last_response.xml"
)
# Clear history when done
client.xml_plugin.clear_history()
XML Capture Plugin Methods:
last_sent_xml- Get the last SOAP request XMLlast_received_xml- Get the last SOAP response XMLlast_operation- Get the name of the last operationhistory- List of all captured requests/responses with metadataget_last_request()- Method to get last requestget_last_response()- Method to get last responseget_history()- Method to get all historysave_to_file(request_file, response_file)- Save XML to filesclear_history()- Clear captured history
Custom WSDL Directory:
from onvif import ONVIFClient
# Use custom WSDL files instead of built-in ones
client = ONVIFClient(
"192.168.1.17",
80,
"admin",
"password",
wsdl_dir="/path/to/custom/wsdl" # Custom WSDL directory
)
# All services will automatically use custom WSDL files
device = client.devicemgmt()
media = client.media()
ptz = client.ptz()
# The custom WSDL directory should have a flat structure:
# /path/to/custom/wsdl/
# ├── devicemgmt.wsdl
# ├── media.wsdl
# ├── ptz.wsdl
# ├── imaging.wsdl
# └── ... (other WSDL files)
from onvif import ONVIFClient, CacheMode
# Recommended production settings
client = ONVIFClient(
host="your-cctv-node.viewplexus.com",
port=443,
username="admin",
password="secure_password",
timeout=15,
cache=CacheMode.ALL, # Maximum performance (default)
use_https=True, # Secure communication
verify_ssl=True, # Verify certificates (default)
apply_patch=True, # Enhanced parsing (default)
capture_xml=False, # Disable debug mode (default)
wsdl_dir=None # Use built-in WSDL files (default)
)
apply_patch=True (default) enables custom zeep patching that improves xsd:any field parsing. This is recommended for better compatibility with ONVIF responses.capture_xml=True during development/debugging as it increases memory usage and may expose sensitive data in logs.wsdl_dir parameter to specify a custom directory containing WSDL files. The directory should have a flat structure with WSDL files directly in the root (e.g., /path/to/custom/wsdl/devicemgmt.wsdl, /path/to/custom/wsdl/media.wsdl, etc.).CacheMode.DB or CacheMode.ALL) is stored in ~/.onvif-python/onvif_zeep_cache.sqlite.[!WARNING] Before performing any operations on an ONVIF device, it is highly recommended to discover which services are available and supported by the device. This library automatically performs comprehensive service discovery during initialization using a robust fallback mechanism.
Why discover device services?
How service discovery works in this library:
The ONVIFClient uses a 3-tier discovery approach to maximize device compatibility:
GetServices first for detailed service informationGetCapabilities if GetServices is not supportedfrom onvif import ONVIFClient
client = ONVIFClient("192.168.1.17", 8000, "admin", "admin123")
# Check what discovery method was used
if client.services:
print("Service discovery: GetServices (preferred)")
print("Discovered services:", len(client.services))
print("Service map:", client._service_map)
elif client.capabilities:
print("Service discovery: GetCapabilities (fallback)")
print("Available capabilities:", client.capabilities)
else:
print("Service discovery: Using default URLs")
Why this approach?
[!TIP] The library handles service discovery automatically with intelligent fallback. You typically don't need to call discovery methods manually unless you need detailed capability information or want to refresh the service list after device configuration changes.
This library has been tested with a variety of ONVIF-compliant devices. For the latest and most complete list of devices that have been verified to work with this library, please refer to:
If your device is not listed right now, feel free to contribute your test results or feedback via Issues or Discussions at onvif-products-directory. Your contribution will be invaluable to the community and the public.
[!IMPORTANT] Device testing contributions must be made with a real device and use the scripts provided in the onvif-products-directory repo. Please be sure to contribute using a device model not already listed.
This library fully supports all major ONVIF Profiles listed below. Each profile represents a standardized set of features and use cases, ensuring interoperability between ONVIF-compliant devices and clients. You can use this library to integrate with devices and systems that implement any of these profiles.
| Name | Specifications | Main Features | Typical Use Case | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profile_S | Document | Video streaming, PTZ, audio, multicasting | Network video transmitters (cameras) and receivers (recorders, VMS) | ✅ Yes |
| Profile_G | Document | Recording, search, replay, video storage | Video recorders, storage devices | ✅ Yes |
| Profile_T | Document | Advanced video streaming (H.265, analytics metadata, motion detection) | Modern cameras and clients | ✅ Yes |
| Profile_C | Document | Access control, door monitoring | Door controllers, access systems | ✅ Yes |
| Profile_A | Document | Advanced access control configuration, credential management | Access control clients and devices | ✅ Yes |
| Profile_D | Document | Access control peripherals (locks, sensors, relays) | Peripheral devices for access control | ✅ Yes |
| Profile_M | Document | Metadata, analytics events, object detection | Analytics devices, metadata clients | ✅ Yes |
For a full description of each profile and its features, visit ONVIF Profiles.
[!NOTE] For details about the available service functions and methods already implemented in this library, see the source code in
onvif/services/. Or if you want to read in a more proper format visit onvif-python AI Wiki.
Below is a list of ONVIF services implemented and supported by this library, along with links to the official specifications, service definitions, and schema files as referenced from the ONVIF Developer Specs. This table provides a quick overview of the available ONVIF features and their technical documentation for integration and development purposes.
ONVIF services are defined by WSDL bindings. In this library, there are two main patterns:
Most ONVIF services use a single binding, mapping directly to one endpoint. These are accessed via simple client methods, and the binding/xAddr is always known from device capabilities.
client.devicemgmt() # DeviceBinding
client.media() # MediaBinding
client.ptz() # PTZBinding
...
✅ These are considered fixed and always accessed directly.
Some ONVIF services have multiple bindings in the same WSDL. These typically include:
Events
EventBindingPullPointSubscriptionBinding (created via CreatePullPointSubscription)SubscriptionManagerBinding (manages existing subscriptions)NotificationProducerBindingUsage in library:
client.events() # root binding
client.pullpoint(subscription) # sub-binding (dynamic, via SubscriptionReference.Address)
client.subscription(subscription) # sub-binding (dynamic, via SubscriptionReference.Address)
client.notification() # sub-binding accessor
Security (Advanced Security)
AdvancedSecurityServiceBindingJWTBindingAuthorizationServerBindingKeystoreBindingDot1XBindingTLSServerBindingMediaSigningBindingUsage in library:
client.security() # root binding
client.jwt() # sub-binding accessor
client.authorizationserver(xaddr) # sub-binding accessor (requires xAddr)
client.keystore(xaddr) # ..
client.dot1x(xaddr)
client.tlsserver(xaddr)
client.mediasigning(xaddr)
Analytics
AnalyticsEngineBindingRuleEngineBindingUsage in library:
client.analytics() # root binding
client.ruleengine() # sub-binding accessor
client.media()).client.pullpoint(subscription), client.authorizationserver(xaddr)).ONVIFClient to accept a custom wsdl_dir service.ONVIF CLI program to interact directly with ONVIF devices via terminal.onvif-products-directory: This project is a comprehensive ONVIF data aggregation and management suite, designed to help developers explore, analyze, and process ONVIF-compliant product information from hundreds of manufacturers worldwide.
(soon) onvif-rest-server: A RESTful API server for ONVIF devices, enabling easy integration of ONVIF device management, media streaming, and other capabilities into web applications and services.
(soon) onvif-mcp: A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for ONVIF, providing a unified API and context-based integration for ONVIF devices, clients, and services. It enables advanced automation, orchestration, and interoperability across ONVIF-compliant devices and clients.
This project is an independent open-source implementation of the ONVIF specifications. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by ONVIF or its member companies.
wsdl/ folder are distributed under the ONVIF Contributor License Agreement and Apache License 2.0. See LICENSE.md for details.If you require certified ONVIF-compliant devices or clients, please refer to the official ONVIF conformant product list. For authoritative reference and the latest official ONVIF specifications, please consult the ONVIF Official Specifications.
This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.
FAQs
A modern Python library for ONVIF-compliant devices
We found that onvif-python demonstrated a healthy version release cadence and project activity because the last version was released less than a year ago. It has 1 open source maintainer collaborating on the project.
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