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1 ---
2 title: npm-explain
3 section: 1
4 description: Explain installed packages
5 github_repo: npm/cli
6 github_branch: latest
7 github_path: docs/lib/content/commands/npm-explain.md
8 redirect_from:
9 - /cli-commands/explain
10 - /cli-commands/npm-explain
11 - /cli-documentation/cli-commands/explain
12 - /cli-documentation/cli-commands/npm-explain
13 - /cli-documentation/commands/explain
14 - /cli-documentation/commands/npm-explain
15 - /cli-documentation/explain
16 - /cli-documentation/npm-explain
17 - /cli-documentation/v11/cli-commands/explain
18 - /cli-documentation/v11/cli-commands/npm-explain
19 - /cli-documentation/v11/commands/explain
20 - /cli-documentation/v11/commands/npm-explain
21 - /cli-documentation/v11/explain
22 - /cli-documentation/v11/npm-explain
23 - /cli/cli-commands/explain
24 - /cli/cli-commands/npm-explain
25 - /cli/commands/explain
26 - /cli/commands/npm-explain
27 - /cli/explain
28 - /cli/npm-explain
29 - /cli/v11/cli-commands/explain
30 - /cli/v11/cli-commands/npm-explain
31 - /cli/v11/commands/explain
32 - /cli/v11/explain
33 - /cli/v11/npm-explain
34 - /commands/explain
35 - /commands/npm-explain
36 ---
37
38 ### Synopsis
39
40 ```bash
41 npm explain <package-spec>
42
43 alias: why
44 ```
45
46 ### Description
47
48 This command will print the chain of dependencies causing a given package to be installed in the current project.
49
50 If one or more package specs are provided, then only packages matching one of the specifiers will have their relationships explained.
51
52 The package spec can also refer to a folder within `./node_modules`
53
54 For example, running `npm explain glob` within npm's source tree will show:
55
56 ```bash
57 glob@7.1.6
58 node_modules/glob
59 glob@"^7.1.4" from the root project
60
61 glob@7.1.1 dev
62 node_modules/tacks/node_modules/glob
63 glob@"^7.0.5" from rimraf@2.6.2
64 node_modules/tacks/node_modules/rimraf
65 rimraf@"^2.6.2" from tacks@1.3.0
66 node_modules/tacks
67 dev tacks@"^1.3.0" from the root project
68 ```
69
70 To explain just the package residing at a specific folder, pass that as the argument to the command. This can be useful when trying to figure out exactly why a given dependency is being duplicated to satisfy conflicting version requirements within the project.
71
72 ```bash
73 $ npm explain node_modules/nyc/node_modules/find-up
74 find-up@3.0.0 dev
75 node_modules/nyc/node_modules/find-up
76 find-up@"^3.0.0" from nyc@14.1.1
77 node_modules/nyc
78 nyc@"^14.1.1" from tap@14.10.8
79 node_modules/tap
80 dev tap@"^14.10.8" from the root project
81 ```
82
83 ### Configuration
84
85 #### `json`
86
87 - Default: false
88 - Type: Boolean
89
90 Whether or not to output JSON data, rather than the normal output.
91
92 - In `npm pkg set` it enables parsing set values with JSON.parse() before saving them to your `package.json`.
93
94 Not supported by all npm commands.
95
96 #### `workspace`
97
98 - Default:
99 - Type: String (can be set multiple times)
100
101 Enable running a command in the context of the configured workspaces of the current project while filtering by running only the workspaces defined by this configuration option.
102
103 Valid values for the `workspace` config are either:
104
105 - Workspace names
106 - Path to a workspace directory
107 - Path to a parent workspace directory (will result in selecting all workspaces within that folder)
108
109 When set for the `npm init` command, this may be set to the folder of a workspace which does not yet exist, to create the folder and set it up as a brand new workspace within the project.
110
111 This value is not exported to the environment for child processes.
112
113 ### See Also
114
115 - [package spec](/cli/v11/using-npm/package-spec)
116 - [npm config](/cli/v11/commands/npm-config)
117 - [npmrc](/cli/v11/configuring-npm/npmrc)
118 - [npm folders](/cli/v11/configuring-npm/folders)
119 - [npm ls](/cli/v11/commands/npm-ls)
120 - [npm install](/cli/v11/commands/npm-install)
121 - [npm link](/cli/v11/commands/npm-link)
122 - [npm prune](/cli/v11/commands/npm-prune)
123 - [npm outdated](/cli/v11/commands/npm-outdated)
124 - [npm update](/cli/v11/commands/npm-update)