Check if a File Exists in Python Without Exceptions

Written: August 22, 2026

You do not need try/except just to ask whether a path exists. pathlib and os.path both offer boolean checks. Still use exceptions when you actually open the file — existence can change between check and open (TOCTOU).

pathlib (recommended)

from pathlib import Path

p = Path("data/report.csv")
if p.is_file():
    print("File exists")
else:
    print("Missing")

os.path

import os

if os.path.isfile("data/report.csv"):
    print("File exists")

Keep learning

If this walkthrough on python check file exists helped, open the code again and change one input or assumption. Small experiments beat rereading the same example.

Want more step-by-step tutorials like this? Browse blog.xqa.io — and tell us which topic you want next.