Understanding and Fixing “TypeError: ‘Type’ Object is Not Subscriptable” in Python

One of the most common and confusing errors Python developers run into is:

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TypeError: 'type' object is not subscriptable

If you’ve seen this in your logs or terminal, don’t worry. It’s a relatively simple error once you understand why it happens and how Python handles types and classes.

TypeError: ‘type’ object is not subscriptable in Python – Want to know how to fix it? Keep reading.

What Does “’type’ object is not subscriptable” Mean?

In Python, a subscriptable object is something that supports indexing with square brackets [], like:

• Lists (list[0])
• Dictionaries (dict[‘key’])
• Strings (str[0])

When you see this error, it means you’re trying to index (subscript) something that isn’t designed to be indexed—in this case, a type/class.

Common Cause of the Error

The most frequent situation where this occurs is when working with type annotations or generic types.

my_dict = dict[str, int]

TypeError: 'type' object is not subscriptable

How to Fix It

from typing import Dict
my_dict: Dict[str, int] = {"a": 1, "b": 2}

my_dict: dict[str, int] = {"a": 1, "b": 2}

Other Common Examples

class MyClass:
pass
obj = MyClass[0]  # Will raise the TypeError

obj = MyClass()
value = obj[0]  # Only if MyClass defines __getitem__

def get_type():
    return type
print(get_type()[0])  # type is not subscriptable

print(type("abc")[0])  # Valid: type("abc") returns <class 'str'>, then str[0] returns 'a'

Quick Tip: What is a “subscriptable” object?

An object is subscriptable if it implements the __getitem__() method. You can check this like so:

print('__getitem__' in dir(dict))   #True
print('__getitem__' in dir(type))   #False

When Is This Error Most Likely?

• While adding type hints
• Refactoring code with generics
• Using built-in types incorrectly as generics
• Working in older versions of Python without typing support

Best Practices

• Use typing.List, typing.Dict, etc., in Python 3.5–3.8.
• Use built-in list[], dict[] notation in Python 3.9+.
• Don’t subscript classes unless they are designed to be subscriptable (like Generic or TypedDict).
• Keep Python updated if possible to use modern syntax.

Bonus: Quick Compatibility Check Script

import sys
if sys.version_info < (3, 9):
    print("Use typing.Dict, typing.List for generics.")
else:
    print("You're good to use dict[str, int] and list[int].")

Conclusion

The error “TypeError: ‘type’ object is not subscriptable” might sound intimidating, but it boils down to Python’s type system and how it evolved over versions. Whether you’re annotating types or dealing with class instances, understanding when and how to subscript will make your code safer and easier to maintain.

If you’re building scalable Python apps and want to catch these issues before they happen, consider integrating mypy, Pylint, or Pyright in your dev workflow.