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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesStart a Python comment with # outside a string literal. The comment runs to the end of that physical line and is ignored by Python, so use it to explain code to people—not to change what the program does.
Write a comment with #
Place a hash character before the text you want to mark as a comment. You can put a comment on a line by itself or after code on the same line:
# Explain the purpose of the next operation.
total = price * quantity
subtotal = price * quantity # Inline comment after whitespaceA comment ends at the end of its physical line. Python does not treat the comment text as executable syntax. The rule is described in the Python 3.14.8 lexical reference.
Know when # is part of a string
A hash character inside a quoted string is ordinary text, not the start of a comment:
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label = "# is part of this string, not a comment"Only a # outside a string literal begins a comment. This distinction matters when strings contain values such as labels or text that visibly includes a hash.
Write comments that add useful context
Comments are for readers. The Python tutorial recommends putting them on a line of their own when possible. In practice, use a comment to explain intent or context that is not apparent from the code, rather than restating an obvious operation.
# Explain why this calculation is needed.
total = price * quantityThe comment does not affect the value of total; it only helps someone understand the code. The style recommendation appears in the Python tutorial’s coding-style summary.
Comments and docstrings serve different roles
A docstring is a string literal placed as the first statement in a module, class, or function. It documents that object and can be used by documentation tools; it is not a # comment.
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def greet(name):
"""Return a greeting for one person."""
return f"Hello, {name}!"Here, the string is a docstring because it is the function’s first statement. A comment inside the function has a different role: it is ignored as syntax and can clarify the source for readers. Python’s documentation-strings tutorial section explains this distinction.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A special case: source-file encoding comments
There is a narrow exception to the idea that comments are only for human readers: a specially formatted comment on the first or second line of a source file can declare its encoding. Python uses UTF-8 by default, so most code does not need an encoding declaration. See the lexical reference on encoding declarations for the exact format and placement rules.
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