TensorFlow Estimators Are Deprecated—Here’s How (and Why) to Migrate

TensorFlow 2.15 is the final release to support tf.estimator, with full removal in 2.16. Estimators simplified training, evaluation, prediction, and deployment, and supported distributed training and TFX integration. This article covers their capabilities, how to use pre-made and custom Estimators, converting Keras models with model_to_estimator, and exporting SavedModels. Since Estimators are deprecated, developers should migrate workflows to modern APIs like tf.keras and tf.distribute for future-proof training and serving pipelines.