/understanding-streamlit-architecture

name: understanding-streamlit-architecture
description: Explains Streamlit's internal architecture including backend runtime, frontend rendering, and WebSocket communication. Use when debugging cross-layer issues, understanding how features work end-to-end, planning architectural changes, or onboarding to the codebase. Covers ForwardMsg/BackMsg protocol, script rerun model, element tree, widget state management, and more.

Understanding Streamlit architecture

Streamlit is a client-server application with bidirectional WebSocket communication using Protocol Buffers. Use this file as a quick mental model and navigation index; use `references/backend.md`, `references/frontend.md`, and `references/communication.md` for implementation details.

Concepts glossary

| Concept | Description | Key files | |---------|-------------|-----------| | **Command** | Any function exposed in Streamlit's public API (`st.*` namespace). Commands can create elements/widgets, control execution flow, or configure app behavior. | `lib/streamlit/delta_generator.py`, `lib/streamlit/elements/`, `lib/streamlit/commands/` | | **Element** | Umbrella term for all UI components in Streamlit: widgets, containers, and display elements. Represented in `Element.proto` as a `oneof` union of ~50+ types. | `proto/streamlit/proto/Element.proto`, `lib/streamlit/elements/` | | **Widget** | Interactive element (button, slider, text_input) that typically triggers a rerun on user interaction. Value accessible via return value or `st.session_state`. Widgets that support `on_change="ignore"` update in the browser without rerunning until something else does. Some elements become widgets conditionally (e.g., dataframe/chart with `on_select`). | `lib/streamlit/elements/widgets/`, `frontend/lib/src/components/widgets/` | | **Display Element** | Non-interactive element (text, markdown, image, chart) that renders content without triggering reruns by itself. | `lib/streamlit/elements/`, `frontend/lib/src/components/elements/` | | **Container** | Layout block that groups elements spatially (sidebar, columns, expander, tabs, form). Represented as `BlockNode` in the element tree. | `lib/streamlit/elements/layouts.py`, `Block.proto` | | **DeltaGenerator** | The `st` object; API entry point that queues UI deltas. Uses mixin pattern to compose all `st.*` commands. | `lib/streamlit/delta_generator.py` | | **Session State** | Per-session dictionary (`st.session_state`) persisting data across reruns. Stores widget values and user variables. | `lib/streamlit/runtime/state/session_state.py` | | **Rerun** | Re-execution of the user script for the current page. Triggered by widget interactions, `st.rerun()`, file changes, or fragment timers. Rebuilds the element tree while preserving session state. | `lib/streamlit/runtime/scriptrunner/script_runner.py`, `lib/streamlit/commands/execution_control.py` | | **Form** | Container (`st.form`) that batches widget inputs, deferring reruns until form submission. | `lib/streamlit/elements/form.py`, `WidgetStateManager.ts` | | **Fragment** | Decorator (`@st.fragment`) enabling partial reruns of specific UI sections without full script re-execution. | `lib/streamlit/runtime/fragment.py` | | **Caching** | Decorators (`@st.cache_data`, `@st.cache_resource`) that memoize function results to avoid redundant computation. | `lib/streamlit/runtime/caching/` | | **Pages** | Multipage app system using `st.navigation()` and `st.Page()` or auto-discovery from `pages/` directory. | `lib/streamlit/navigation/`, `lib/streamlit/runtime/pages_manager.py` | | **Config** | App configuration via `.streamlit/config.toml` controlling server, client, and theme settings. | `lib/streamlit/config.py`, `lib/streamlit/config_option.py` | | **Theming** | Customizable UI themes (Light/Dark/Custom) defined in config or via theme editor. | `lib/streamlit/runtime/theme_util.py`, `frontend/lib/src/theme/` | | **Secrets** | Secure credential storage via `.streamlit/secrets.toml` (local) or platform settings (deployed). Accessed via `st.secrets`. | `lib/streamlit/runtime/secrets.py` | | **Connection** | Database/service abstraction (`st.connection`) with built-in caching and secrets integration. | `lib/streamlit/connections/` | | **Custom Components** | User-built extensions using React/iframe. **v1 (legacy)**: `declare_component()` API. **v2 (current)**: Bidirectional components with improved state management. | `frontend/component-lib/`, `frontend/component-v2-lib/`, `lib/streamlit/components/v1/`, `lib/streamlit/components/v2/` | | **Static File Serving** | Files in `static/` directory served directly via `/app/static/*` (when static serving is enabled). | `lib/streamlit/web/server/server.py`, `lib/streamlit/web/server/starlette/starlette_routes.py` | | **App Testing** | Testing framework (`AppTest`) for simulating user interactions and inspecting rendered output. | `lib/streamlit/testing/` |

Core mental model

flowchart TB
    subgraph Backend["Backend (Python)"]
        Script[User Script]
        DG[DeltaGenerator]
        Runtime[Runtime/AppSession]
    end

    subgraph Protocol["WebSocket + Protobuf"]
        FM[ForwardMsg]
        BM[BackMsg]
    end

    subgraph Frontend["Frontend (React)"]
        App[App.tsx]
        Tree[AppRoot Tree]
        Renderer[ElementNodeRenderer]
        WSM[WidgetStateManager]
    end

    Script --> DG
    DG --> FM
    FM --> App
    App --> Tree
    Tree --> Renderer
    Renderer --> WSM
    WSM -->|User interaction| BM
    BM --> Runtime
    Runtime -->|Rerun| Script

**Key insight**: Script execution is rerun-driven: most widget interactions trigger reruns (full app or fragment-scoped). State persists via `st.session_state` and caching decorators.

Execution model

Streamlit's execution model differs from traditional web frameworks:

**Rerun triggers**: 1. **Widget interaction**: User clicks button, moves slider, etc. (widgets with `on_change="ignore"` update without a re