Cookiecutter Django is a project template framework that jumpstarts production-ready Django projects quickly using the Cookiecutter templating tool.
The tool addresses the friction of setting up a new Django project by providing a pre-configured scaffold with production-grade defaults already in place. Rather than assembling infrastructure piece by piece, developers answer a series of prompts during project generation to customize the template for their needs. The generated project includes 100% test coverage from the start, secure-by-default settings aligned with the 12-Factor methodology, and integration points for common production services.
Teams building Django applications should consider this template if they want to skip boilerplate setup and adopt opinionated but battle-tested conventions. It suits projects that will run on Docker, use PostgreSQL, and benefit from integrations like Celery for task queues, Sentry for error tracking, or cloud storage providers like S3 and Google Cloud Storage. The template enforces use of only maintained third-party libraries and environment-based configuration, which works well for containerized deployments but not with Apache mod_wsgi. Developers who prefer minimal scaffolding or need MySQL instead of PostgreSQL should evaluate whether the template's constraints align with their requirements.
The project maintains active engagement with its issue tracker, providing a documented troubleshooting guide and requesting that problems be reported through GitHub issues rather than direct contact. Development activity shows consistent attention to keeping dependencies current, with support for recent Django and Python versions and regular updates to included tools like Bootstrap and pre-commit hooks. The project accepts community contributions and maintains documentation covering deployment to multiple platforms including Heroku and PythonAnywhere.
