Where to install pip packages inside my Conda environment?

Question

As I understand it, if I use pip install ___, that package will go to my global version of python. If I change directory to the within my Conda environment then that package will be isolated within the environment. Is this correct?

I have searched to try and find where to put the pip packages (within my Conda environment). It used to be that you would install the pip packages in /Anaconda3/envs/venv_name/bin/. It appears the bin folder is now located within the Library folder, like this: /Anaconda3/envs/venv_name/Library/bin. Is the bin folder still the recommended place to put the packages installed by pip?

In other words should I be placing the pip installed packages here: /Anaconda3/envs/venv_name/Library/bin ?

Answer 1

No Specification Needed

Fortunately, one need not manually specify where to install the packages. Instead, if one uses the pip associated with the environment, packages will install to the site-packages directory of environment's python by default.

Example

 > conda activate venv_name
 
 # check that you are using the right pip
 > which pip
 /Anaconda3/envs/venv_name/bin/pip  # should be something like this

 > pip install <package name>

This will install packages into /Anaconda3/envs/venv_name/lib/python3.7/site-packages/, or whatever Python version you have installed for the environment.

⛔️ Important Note: There are some flags for pip install that change this behavior, most notably the --user flag. Conda users are strongly discouraged from using this flag because it installs packages at a user-level, leading to packages being visible to other environments with matching Python versions (major+minor).

Caution: Mixing PyPI and Conda Packages

Be aware that (as @WilliamDIrons pointed out), it is usually preferable to use conda install -n venv_name <package name> instead of pip. The common practice is to only use pip in a Conda environment when the package is not available through a Conda repository. It is strongly recommended to read and follow the best practices found in the "Using pip in an environment" documentation.