# Scrapy 2.18.0 ships with httpx2-based download handler and stable HTTP/2 support

> Scrapy 2.18.0 replaces the Twisted-based HTTP/2 handler with httpx2, makes brotli and Zstandard compression always available, and changes late crawler attribute access to raise RuntimeError.

- Canonical: https://extractfeed.io/story/scrapy-2-18-0-ships-with-httpx2-based-download-handler-and-s-ba6774a/
- JSON: https://extractfeed.io/api/v1/stories/scrapy-2-18-0-ships-with-httpx2-based-download-handler-and-s-ba6774a.json
- Beat: Open Source & Tooling · Evidence: Primary source · Type/significance: release/3 · First seen: 2026-09-10T14:30:08.156011+00:00 · Updated: 2026-09-10T14:30:08.156011+00:00 · Edition: 2026-11-05
- Framing: model-written (headline, standfirst, why it matters, tags); source facts deterministic

## Briefing
- Scrapy: Scrapy 2.18.0 replaces the Twisted-based HTTP/2 handler with httpx2, makes brotli and Zstandard compression always available, and changes late crawler attribute access to raise RuntimeError.

## Why it matters
The move to httpx2 for the download handler modernizes Scrapy's HTTP stack, potentially improving performance and maintainability. Making HTTP/2 non-experimental signals production readiness for a feature that many scrapers will rely on. The RuntimeError change for late crawler attributes is a breaking change that may affect custom extensions or middlewares, so developers should review their code before upgrading.

## Sources
- Primary source · Scrapy · 2026-08-20 — [scrapy/scrapy 2.18.0](https://github.com/scrapy/scrapy/releases/tag/2.18.0)

## Watch next
Will the httpx2 migration introduce any compatibility issues with existing Scrapy middlewares or download handlers?

Topics: Scrapy, httpx2, scrapy, http2, httpx, compression, breaking-change

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