Move components to an optional `gradio[components]` extra so core Gradio is lightweight
Author: dawoodkhan82Created Sep 28, 2026Updated Sep 28, 2026
Labelsenhancementpython
We want Gradio to be a lightweight alternative to FastAPI for any app, including gr.Server apps that don't use Gradio's built-in components.
Proposal
- Make the base
pip install gradiominimal: server, queue, client, andgr.Server - Move the UI components and their heavy dependencies (e.g. image/audio/video processing, pandas) to an optional extra:
pip install gradio[components] - Show a clear error message when a component is used without the extra installed
Considerations
- Migration path and messaging for existing users (this is a breaking change for Gradio 7)
- Spaces' default Gradio SDK install should probably include the extra
- Measure install size and import time before and after
Source: gradio-app/gradio