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.

• 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.

• Individual developers exploring ONVIF or building hobby projects
• Companies building video intelligence, analytics, or VMS platforms
• Security integrators who need reliable ONVIF interoperability across devices

• Python: 3.9 or higher
• Dependencies:
  • zeep>=4.3.0 - SOAP client for ONVIF communication
  • requests>=2.32.0 - HTTP library for network requests

From 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 .

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 Management
• client.events() — Events
• client.imaging() — Imaging
• client.media() — Media
• client.ptz() — PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom)
• client.analytics() — Analytics

and 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:

• List of operation names that can be called on the service

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 WSDL
• required: List of required parameter names
• optional: List of optional parameter names
• method_name: The method name
• service_name: The service name

Usage:

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")

Windows Linux macOS Raspberry Pi

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.

• Device Discovery: Automatic ONVIF device discovery on local network using WS-Discovery protocol.
• Interactive Shell: A user-friendly shell with tab completion, command history, and colorized output.
• Direct Command Execution: Run ONVIF commands directly from the terminal for scripting and automation.
• Automatic Discovery: Automatically detects available services on the device.
• Connection Management: Supports HTTP/HTTPS, custom timeouts, and SSL verification.
• Data Management: Store results from commands and use them as parameters in subsequent commands.
• Cross-Platform: Works on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Raspberry Pi.

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 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:

• Quick operations without entering service mode
• Scripting repetitive tasks
• Testing workflows
• Automating multi-step procedures

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:

1. Automatic Network Scanning: Sends a WS-Discovery Probe message to the multicast address 239.255.255.250:3702
2. Device Detection: Listens for ProbeMatch responses from ONVIF devices (default timeout: 4 seconds)
3. Interactive Selection: Displays a numbered list of discovered devices with their details:
   • Device UUID (Endpoint Reference)
   • XAddrs (ONVIF service URLs)
   • Device Types (e.g., NetworkVideoTransmitter)
   • Scopes (name, location, hardware, profile information)
4. Connection: Once you select a device, the CLI automatically connects using the discovered host and port

Example 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:

• Discovery only works on the local network (same subnet)
• Some networks may block multicast traffic (check firewall settings)
• The --host and --port arguments are not required when using --discover
• You can still provide --username and --password upfront to avoid prompts

3. 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:

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年08月15日 17:53:12 | DS-2CD2143G2-IU | V5.7.3 | S,G,T | Camera | device | Hikvision
341 | 2024年08月14日 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:

from onvif import ONVIFClient
# Minimal configuration
client = ONVIFClient("192.168.1.17", 80, "admin", "password")

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
)

from onvif import ONVIFClient, CacheMode
# Use memory-only cache for quick scripts
client = ONVIFClient(
 "192.168.1.17", 
 80, 
 "admin", 
 "password",
 cache=CacheMode.MEM
)

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
)

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()

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)
)

• Authentication: This library uses WS-UsernameToken with Digest authentication by default, which is the standard for ONVIF devices.
• Patching: The apply_patch=True (default) enables custom zeep patching that improves xsd:any field parsing. This is recommended for better compatibility with ONVIF responses.
• XML Capture: Only use capture_xml=True during development/debugging as it increases memory usage and may expose sensitive data in logs.
• Custom WSDL: Use 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.).
• Cache Location: Disk cache (when using CacheMode.DB or CacheMode.ALL) is stored in ~/.onvif-python/onvif_zeep_cache.sqlite.

Why discover device services?

• Device Diversity: Not all ONVIF devices support every service. Available services may vary by manufacturer, model, firmware, or configuration.
• Error Prevention: Attempting to use unsupported services can result in failed requests, exceptions, or undefined behavior.
• Dynamic Feature Detection: Devices may enable or disable services over time (e.g., after firmware updates or configuration changes).
• Optimized Integration: By checking available services, your application can adapt its workflow and UI to match the device's actual features.

How service discovery works in this library:

The ONVIFClient uses a 3-tier discovery approach to maximize device compatibility:

1. GetServices (Preferred) - Tries GetServices first for detailed service information
2. GetCapabilities (Fallback) - Falls back to GetCapabilities if GetServices is not supported
3. Default URLs (Final Fallback) - Uses standard ONVIF URLs as last resort

from 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?

• GetServices provides the most accurate and detailed service information, but it's optional in the ONVIF specification
• GetCapabilities is mandatory for all ONVIF-compliant devices, ensuring broader compatibility
• Default URLs guarantee basic connectivity even with non-compliant devices

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:

• List of tested devices (device-test)

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.

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.

For a full description of each profile and its features, visit ONVIF Profiles.

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
...

Some ONVIF services have multiple bindings in the same WSDL. These typically include:

• A root binding (main entry point)
• One or more sub-bindings, discovered or created dynamically (e.g. after subscription/configuration creation)

• Single binding services: Always accessed directly (e.g. client.media()).
• Multi-binding services: Have a root + sub-binding(s). Root is fixed; sub-bindings may require dynamic creation or explicit xAddr (e.g. client.pullpoint(subscription), client.authorizationserver(xaddr)).

• (削除) Add debugging mode with raw xml on SOAP requests and responses. (削除ここまで) (c258162)
• (削除) Add functionality for ONVIFClient to accept a custom wsdl_dir service. (削除ここまで) (65f2570)
• (削除) Add ONVIF CLI program to interact directly with ONVIF devices via terminal. (削除ここまで) (645be01)
• Add asynchronous (async/await) support for non-blocking ONVIF operations and concurrent device communication.
• Implement structured data models for ONVIF Schemas using xsdata.
• Integrate xmltodict for simplified XML parsing and conversion.
• Enhance documentation with API references and diagrams (not from AI Wiki).
• Add more usage examples for advanced features.
• Add benchmarking and performance metrics.
• Add community-contributed device configuration templates.

• 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.

• ONVIF Official Specifications
• ONVIF Official Specs Repository
• ONVIF Application Programmer's Guide
• ONVIF 2.0 Service Operation Index
• Usage Examples

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.

• The name "ONVIF" and the ONVIF logo are registered trademarks of the ONVIF organization.
• Any references to ONVIF within this project are made strictly for the purpose of describing interoperability with ONVIF-compliant devices and services.
• Use of the ONVIF trademark in this repository is solely nominative and does not imply any partnership, certification, or official status.
• This project includes WSDL/XSD/HTML files from the official ONVIF specifications.
• These files are © ONVIF and are redistributed here for interoperability purposes.
• The WSDL files in the wsdl/ folder are distributed under the ONVIF Contributor License Agreement and Apache License 2.0. See LICENSE.md for details.
• All rights to the ONVIF specifications are reserved by ONVIF.

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.