Pylance requires you to set the Python PATH:

If you're in Mac/Linux, use:

which python3

And in Windows (Command Prompt cmd.exe):

where python

So that the path in which your Python is installed is returned.

Copy that path.

Go to your vscode and open the settings.json file (CTRL + SHIFT + P, and type "settings.json" at search bar)

Add the following key to the json file:

"python.defaultInterpreterPath": "<PATH RETURNED ABOVE>"

The path may look like "C:\\Users\\YOURUSERNAME\\anaconda3\\bin\\python.exe on Windows or "/usr/local/bin/python3" on Mac/Linux.

Note: backslashes in settings.json must be escaped with an additional backslash, so C:\Users becomes "C:\\Users".

The following documentation provides more information about how to configure Python for Visual Studio Code: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/python/settings-reference

Answer from Vitor Pereira Barbosa on Stack Overflow
Discussions

reportMissingImports when import a file whose name contains an underscore
Environment data Language Server version: 2020.6.1 OS and version: Windows 8.1 Pro and Windows 10 2004 Home Python version (& distribution if applicable, e.g. Anaconda): 3.8.3 64-bit, no virtua... More on github.com
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15
July 4, 2020
visual studio code - Pylance in VSCode still shows reportMissingImports even after editing python.analysis.extraPaths - Stack Overflow
I have been breaking my head trying to figure out what I am doing wrong. Hope someone can help me with this. I have a folder in my current working directory in Visual Studio Code 1.69.2 on a Ubuntu... More on stackoverflow.com
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Unexpected pylance "reportMissingImports" in notebook for local package
Hello, I think there is a problem with the Python Analysis feature and Notebooks. I searched on SO and in the issues and I did not found anything similar. Description of the problem I have the foll... More on github.com
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16
August 17, 2022
'Import "Path.to.own.script" could not be resolved Pylance (reportMissingImports)' in VS Code using Python 3.x on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS - Stack Overflow
Pylance is the default the language server used for python project unless you specify it otherwise. If you get (reportMissingImports) and you are sure the dependency has been successfully installed, it means it's installed somewhere else than Pylance expected. More on stackoverflow.com
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GitHub
github.com › microsoft › pylance-release › blob › main › docs › diagnostics › reportMissingImports.md
pylance-release/docs/diagnostics/reportMissingImports.md at main · microsoft/pylance-release
reportMissingImports is a diagnostic in Pylance and Pyright that warns when an import statement cannot be resolved because the module is missing or not installed. This helps catch missing dependencies and configuration issues, improving code ...
Author   microsoft
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Juniper Networks
community.juniper.net › discussion › pyez-and-vscode-could-not-resolved-pylance-reportmissingimports
PyEZ and VSCode - Could not resolved Pylance (ReportMissingImports) | Automation
Hi Everyone,First let me admit that I am new in Python Programming and network automation. I am working with Junos PyEZ Table and Views and when I try to import
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GitHub
github.com › microsoft › pylance-release › issues › 52
reportMissingImports when import a file whose name contains an underscore · Issue #52 · microsoft/pylance-release
July 4, 2020 - Pylance reports no error for "import helloworld", but (under the conditions explained below) for "import hello_world" it reports: Import "hello world" could not be resolved Pylance (reportMissingImports) [1,8]
Author   RussellJQA
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DEV Community
dev.to › climentea › how-to-solve-pylance-missing-imports-in-vscode-359b
How to solve Pylance 'missing imports' in vscode - DEV Community
February 3, 2021 - Here is how you can solve this issue: Make sure you selected the right python interpreter for your... Tagged with python, vscode.
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GitHub
github.com › microsoft › pylance-release › issues › 3208
Unexpected pylance "reportMissingImports" in notebook for local package · Issue #3208 · microsoft/pylance-release
August 17, 2022 - In notebook.ipynb, there is a pylance warning "reportMissingImports" Intellicode properly detects the A class while I am typing the import line · I add the following extra settings : { "jupyter.notebookFileRoot": "${workspaceFolder}", "python.languageServer": "Default", "python.analysis.extraPaths": [ "${workspaceFolder}" ], "python.autoComplete.extraPaths": [ "${workspaceFolder}", ], } I tried to change my option to see if the ${workspaceFolder} is set.
Author   AwePhD
Find elsewhere
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Hrekov
hrekov.com › blog › pylance-reportmissingimports-vs-code
Resolving Pylance(reportMissingImports) in VS Code | Backend APIs, Web Apps, Bots & Automation | Hrekov
December 10, 2025 - The reportMissingImports error occurs when Pylance is looking at a different, often empty, Python environment (like a system-wide Python installation) that doesn't contain the requests package.
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GitHub
gist.github.com › krisbolton › 20159d66f1d919c9c2380c96b6ac3915
VSCode import could not be resolved by Pylance (reportMissingImports) · GitHub
Visual Studio Code (VSCode) reports an error (yellow squiggly lines) saying "Import [nameOfModule] could not be resolved by Pylance (reportMissingImports)". You may be using a virtual environment (e.g., venv). You need to tell Pylance where pip has installed the module you are trying to import. This is called an "additional path". Find the location of the module. In the VSCode terminal within your project enter the python interpreter by typing python.
Top answer
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31

If you want to install a package into your specific virtual environment, you need to first "activate" that environment. Likewise, if you want to run your script in that environment, you need to first "activate" it. You can do this manually or preferably let VSCode handle it for you.

In order to tell VSCode(especially the language server which is pylance) to use that environment:

  1. Open up your Command Palette(press ctrl+shift+P or f1) and type : "python: select interpreter".
  2. Browse/Select your newly created python interpreter's path inside your venv.
  3. Add "python.terminal.activateEnvironment": true to your setting.json file(It's also possible via GUI setting of course by searching for python: activate environment). This will automatically detect and activate your venv whenever you open your integrated terminal. Obviously If the path should points to a venv interpreter. (Note: you have to have a Python file opened in your editor).

You can also set your Python's interpreter path manually:

  1. Create a folder called .vscode in your workspace.
  2. Create a file called settings.json inside it.
  3. Add these to settings.json:
{
    "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "PATH_TO_VENV_INTERPRETER",
    "python.terminal.activateEnvironment": true
}

Note: What I normally do is, I insert a "python.defaultInterpreterPath" key to my User settings.json which points to my global interpreter. Then I create Workspace settings.json for each of my projects and add the same key which points to my venv's interpreter. Remember, workspace settings.json will overwrite user's settings.json.

This way whenever you open VSCode in a project folder it automatically knows it should activate your venv's interpreter(I told it to do so with "python.terminal.activateEnvironment") and if you open VSCode in a normal folder it correctly use your global's interpreter.

Difference between User and Workspace settings.json.

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6

Please select the appropriate interpreter for your running environment.

ctrl+shift+P

and then choose the one like picture.

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Sentry
sentry.io › sentry answers › vs code › fix pylance resolvemissingimports in vs code
Fix Pylance resolveMissingImports in VS Code | Sentry
July 15, 2024 - If you previously installed fastapi to the virtual environment, the resolveMissingImports error should now disappear. Otherwise, run pip install fastapi in your terminal before attempting to run your Python script.
🌐
GitHub
github.com › microsoft › pylance-release › issues › 236
Import "[module]" could not be resolvedPylance (reportMissingImports) · Issue #236 · microsoft/pylance-release
August 13, 2020 - However, module "a" is really imported and it works well. If I delete "python.languageServer": "Pylance" and use Jedi, yellow wavy line won't show up.
Author   jiangzhuochi
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Unreal Engine
forums.unrealengine.com › development › pipeline & plugins
reportMissingImports: Import "unreal" could not be resolved in Python file - Pipeline & Plugins - Epic Developer Community Forums
October 28, 2022 - I’ve been getting reportMissingImports messages for all imports except datetime, and I don’t know how to fix that. My reference for creating these Python functions comes from Python in Unreal Engine — The undocumented parts but I’m trying to export a bunch of vectors onto an interactive graph. import unreal as ue import plotly import plotly.graph_objs as go from datetime import datetime @ue.uclass() class ProceduralGenerationDebug(ue.BlueprintFunctionLibrary): @ue.ufunction(static = True...
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Python.org
discuss.python.org › python help
Optional importing - Python Help - Discussions on Python.org
July 24, 2025 - I saw this code in something I contributed to import importlib.util HAS_NUMPY = importlib.util.find_spec("numpy") is not None if HAS_NUMPY: import numpy as np # pyright: ignore[reportMissingImports] else: np = None # User doesn't have numpy installed ...... if HAS_NUMPY: ... np.
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YouTube
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import ipython display could not be resolved Pylance report ...
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