[Python] Flask relative import error: "from .routes import main" not resolving even though...

Flask Relative Import Error — Stack Overflow Question Format


I'm working on a Flask project where I'm using a package structure like this:

twitter_post_enhancer/
├── app/
│ ├── __init__.py
│ ├── routes.py
│ └── utils/
├── run.py


Inside app/__init__.py, I’m trying to import my blueprint using:

from .routes import main


But when I run the app using:

python run.py


I get this error:

ImportError: attempted relative import with no known parent package

I've already tried:

• Changing to from app.routes import main — works, but VS Code shows unresolved import warning.
• Adding a .env file with PYTHONPATH=. — no change.
• Inserting to sys.path in run.py — works but feels hacky.

✅ What I want:


I want to:

• Keep using relative imports (for modularity)
• Run the project with python run.py from the root
• Avoid VS Code / Pylance import errors (like "unresolved import")

GitHub Repo (for full context):


https://github.com/Chitranshu0/twitter-post-enhancer

Question:


What’s the cleanest and most Pythonic way to structure this Flask project so that:

• Relative imports like from .routes import main work correctly
• The app runs from run.py at root without hacks
• VS Code and Pylance stop complaining about unresolved imports

Any help or best practices appreciated

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