How To Run A Python Script From A Batch File

In this tutorial, we’ll explore how to run a Python script using a Windows batch file (.bat). This is a common approach used by developers and system administrators to automate Python script execution—especially in scheduled tasks, deployment pipelines, or repetitive workflows.

A batch file is a plain-text file containing a sequence of commands that the Windows command interpreter (CMD) executes in order. You can use it to launch Python scripts directly from the Windows environment without opening a terminal manually.
 

📌 Prerequisites

Before running the script, ensure:

• Python is installed on your system.
• The Python executable path is added to the system’s PATH environment variable.

To check if Python is accessible from the command line, open CMD and run:

python --version

If you see an error like “‘python’ is not recognized as an internal or external command”, follow these steps:

• Reinstall Python and make sure to check the box “Add Python to PATH” during installation.
• Or manually add Python’s installation directory (e.g., C:\Python311\) to your system’s PATH variable.

 

🛠 Batch File to Run a Python Script

Here’s an example batch file that runs a Python script named myscript.py located in the root of the C: drive:

@echo off
python c:\myscript.py %*
pause

Breakdown:

• @echo off: Prevents the commands in the batch file from being printed to the terminal during execution.
• python C:\myscript.py: Executes the Python script.
• %*: Passes all command-line arguments from the batch file to the Python script.
• pause: Keeps the window open after the script finishes, so you can see the output.

 

🚀 Usage

• Open Notepad.
• Paste the code above.
• Save the file with a .bat extension, e.g., run_myscript.bat.
• Double-click the batch file to execute the script, or run it from a terminal.

 

✅ Summary

Running a Python script via a batch file is a quick and effective way to automate your Python-based tasks on Windows. This method is particularly useful for integrating Python scripts into scheduled jobs or simple user workflows without requiring manual terminal interaction.