Practical overview
When it fits
Use it when you want a reusable starting point for an NLP project whose data, training, packaging or related workflow can be defined in a project template.
Who it is for
- Developers creating custom NLP pipelines for specific domains or use cases.
- Teams that want repeatable project workflows for training, packaging and sharing outputs.
- Practitioners exploring documented NLP integrations, tutorials or benchmark workflows.
Documented uses
- Adapt a project template to a particular NLP use case.
- Load project data and train a custom pipeline.
- Package a trained pipeline as a Python package.
- Fetch assets and run individual commands or ordered project workflows through a CLI.
- Upload outputs to remote storage and share results with a team.
Requirements & limits
The repository is public and MIT-licensed. Projects are used through the Weasel CLI or the spaCy project alias; templates require Weasel, included by default with spaCy v3.7 according to the README.
- Weasel is required; the README recommends a fresh virtual environment and documents pip and conda installation.
- Templates declare their assets and commands in project.yml, and individual templates may have their own requirements.
- Repository categories distinguish pipeline training, end-to-end tutorials, integrations, benchmarks and experimental workflows.
- Experimental templates are identified as experimental and are presented for use at the reader’s own risk.
Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.
Clone and run a project template
Start from a repository template, install its requirements, fetch defined assets and run a documented project command or workflow.
Before you start
- Python environment; the README recommends a fresh virtual environment.
- Weasel, or spaCy v3.7+ with Weasel included by default.
- A chosen project template and its listed requirements.
Steps
Clone a template with the command below.
python -m weasel clone tutorials/ner_fashion_brandsEnter the cloned directory and install its requirements with the command below.
python -m pip install -r requirements.txtFetch assets declared in
project.ymlwith the command below.python -m weasel assetsRun a defined command such as the command below, or run the ordered workflow with the command below.
python -m weasel run preprocesspython -m weasel run allAdjust the template, data, settings and model for the intended use case.
Expected outcome
A template’s declared command or workflow can be run through Weasel, providing a starting point for an adapted NLP project.
Guide limitations
- Project requirements and assets vary by template.
- The guide documents running workflows but does not guarantee that a particular template will suit a specific dataset or environment.
Sources & review
Source record details
- Source availability
- Active
- Sources checked
- 15 October 2026
- Original website title
- explosion/projects · Official homepage title · retained in its source language

