How to list packages in an Anaconda environment

Before changing a Conda environment, checking its installed packages prevents work from targeting the wrong Python stack or missing a dependency that is already present. Anaconda installations can have several named environments, so tie the package list to an environment name or prefix instead of relying on whatever shell happens to be active.

conda list prints package names, versions, build strings, and channels for the selected environment. Running it with --name keeps the check read-only and explicit, while running it without a target lists the environment currently active in the terminal.

A full inventory helps with audits and handoffs, but package-specific checks are better for one dependency. The filter argument is a regular expression, so use --full-name when a row must match one exact package name.

1. Open a terminal where Conda is available.
2. List the available environments and choose the target environment.

   $ conda info --envs
   
   # conda environments:
   #
   # * -> active
   # + -> frozen
   base                     /opt/conda

   Replace base in the following examples with the environment name you need, or use --prefix with a full environment path.
   Related: How to list Anaconda environments

3. List all packages in the target environment.

   $ conda list --name base
   # packages in environment at /opt/conda:
   #
   # Name                      Version          Build               Channel
   _libgcc_mutex               0.1              main
   _openmp_mutex               5.1              51_gnu
   anaconda-anon-usage         0.7.6            pyhb46e38b_100
   ##### snipped #####
   python                      3.13.13          h0f2f12d_100_cp313
   ##### snipped #####
   zstd                        1.5.7            hc8aa508_0

   Run conda list without --name only when the correct environment is already active.

4. Filter the list to package names matching a search term.

   $ conda list --name base python
   # packages in environment at /opt/conda:
   #
   # Name                     Version          Build               Channel
   msgpack-python             1.1.1            py313h419075a_0
   python                     3.13.13          h0f2f12d_100_cp313
   python-dotenv              1.2.1            py313hd43f75c_0
   python_abi                 3.13             3_cp313

   The package filter is a regular expression, so related package names can appear with the package you had in mind.

5. Match one exact package name when the check needs a single row.

   $ conda list --name base --full-name python
   # packages in environment at /opt/conda:
   #
   # Name                     Version          Build               Channel
   python                     3.13.13          h0f2f12d_100_cp313

6. Show the source channel for an exact package match.

   $ conda list --name base --show-channel-urls --full-name python
   # packages in environment at /opt/conda:
   #
   # Name                     Version          Build               Channel
   python                     3.13.13          h0f2f12d_100_cp313  defaults

7. Print JSON when another tool needs to parse the package list.

   $ conda list --name base --json python
   [
     {
       "base_url": "https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main",
       "build_number": 0,
       "build_string": "py313h419075a_0",
       "channel": "pkgs/main",
       "dist_name": "msgpack-python-1.1.1-py313h419075a_0",
       "name": "msgpack-python",
       "platform": "linux-aarch64",
       "version": "1.1.1"
     },
     {
       "base_url": "https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main",
       "build_number": 100,
       "build_string": "h0f2f12d_100_cp313",
       "channel": "pkgs/main",
       "dist_name": "python-3.13.13-h0f2f12d_100_cp313",
       "name": "python",
       "platform": "linux-aarch64",
       "version": "3.13.13"
     },
     {
       "base_url": "https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main",
       "build_number": 0,
       "build_string": "py313hd43f75c_0",
       "channel": "pkgs/main",
       "dist_name": "python-dotenv-1.2.1-py313hd43f75c_0",
       "name": "python-dotenv",
       "platform": "linux-aarch64",
       "version": "1.2.1"
     },
     {
       "base_url": "https://repo.anaconda.com/pkgs/main",
       "build_number": 3,
       "build_string": "3_cp313",
       "channel": "pkgs/main",
       "dist_name": "python_abi-3.13-3_cp313",
       "name": "python_abi",
       "platform": "linux-aarch64",
       "version": "3.13"
     }
   ]