Django Best Practices

Project Structure

• Keep apps small and focused
• Use apps/ directory for apps
• Separate settings per environment
• Use environment variables for secrets

Models

• Use verbose_name for fields
• Add indexes for queried fields
• Use select_related/prefetch_related
• Avoid N+1 queries
• Use custom managers for common queries

Views

• Use class-based views for CRUD
• Use function views for simple logic
• Return proper HTTP status codes
• Use Django REST Framework for APIs

Security

• Never disable CSRF protection
• Use Django's ORM (no raw SQL)
• Validate all inputs
• Use Django's auth system
• Keep DEBUG=False in production

Performance

• Use Django Debug Toolbar in dev
• Cache with Redis/Memcached
• Use database connection pooling
• Optimize querysets
• Use lazy loading