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1 ---
2 title: scripts
3 section: 7
4 description: How npm handles the "scripts" field
5 github_repo: npm/cli
6 github_branch: release/v6
7 github_path: docs/content/using-npm/scripts.md
8 redirect_from:
9 - /cli-documentation/v6/misc/scripts
10 - /cli-documentation/v6/using-npm/scripts
11 - /cli/v6/misc/scripts
12 ---
13
14 ### Description
15
16 The `"scripts"` property of of your `package.json` file supports a number of built-in scripts and their preset life cycle events as well as arbitrary scripts. These all can be executed by running `npm run-script <stage>` or `npm run <stage>` for short. _Pre_ and _post_ commands with matching names will be run for those as well (e.g. `premyscript`, `myscript`, `postmyscript`). Scripts from dependencies can be run with `npm explore <pkg> -- npm run <stage>`.
17
18 ### Pre & Post Scripts
19
20 To create "pre" or "post" scripts for any scripts defined in the `"scripts"` section of the `package.json`, simply create another script _with a matching name_ and add "pre" or "post" to the beginning of them.
21
22 ```json
23 {
24 "scripts": {
25 "precompress": "{{ executes BEFORE the `compress` script }}",
26 "compress": "{{ run command to compress files }}",
27 "postcompress": "{{ executes AFTER `compress` script }}"
28 }
29 }
30 ```
31
32 ### Life Cycle Scripts
33
34 There are some special life cycle scripts that happen only in certain situations. These scripts happen in addtion to the "pre" and "post" script.
35
36 - `prepare`, `prepublish`, `prepublishOnly`, `prepack`, `postpack`
37
38 **prepare** (since `npm@4.0.0`)
39
40 - Runs BEFORE the package is packed
41 - Runs BEFORE the package is published
42 - Runs on local `npm install` without any arguments
43 - Run AFTER `prepublish`, but BEFORE `prepublishOnly`
44 - NOTE: If a package being installed through git contains a `prepare` script, its `dependencies` and `devDependencies` will be installed, and the prepare script will be run, before the package is packaged and installed.
45
46 **prepublish** (DEPRECATED)
47
48 - Same as `prepare`
49
50 **prepublishOnly**
51
52 - Runs BEFORE the package is prepared and packed, ONLY on `npm publish`.
53
54 **prepack**
55
56 - Runs BEFORE a tarball is packed (on "`npm pack`", "`npm publish`", and when installing a git dependencies).
57 - NOTE: "`npm run pack`" is NOT the same as "`npm pack`". "`npm run pack`" is an arbitrary user defined script name, where as, "`npm pack`" is a CLI defined command.
58
59 **postpack**
60
61 - Runs AFTER the tarball has been generated and moved to its final destination.
62
63 #### Prepare and Prepublish
64
65 **Deprecation Note: prepublish**
66
67 Since `npm@1.1.71`, the npm CLI has run the `prepublish` script for both `npm publish` and `npm install`, because it's a convenient way to prepare a package for use (some common use cases are described in the section below). It has also turned out to be, in practice, [very confusing](https://github.com/npm/npm/issues/10074). As of `npm@4.0.0`, a new event has been introduced, `prepare`, that preserves this existing behavior. A _new_ event, `prepublishOnly` has been added as a transitional strategy to allow users to avoid the confusing behavior of existing npm versions and only run on `npm publish` (for instance, running the tests one last time to ensure they're in good shape).
68
69 See [https://github.com/npm/npm/issues/10074](https://github.com/npm/npm/issues/10074) for a much lengthier justification, with further reading, for this change.
70
71 **Use Cases**
72
73 If you need to perform operations on your package before it is used, in a way that is not dependent on the operating system or architecture of the target system, use a `prepublish` script. This includes tasks such as:
74
75 - Compiling CoffeeScript source code into JavaScript.
76 - Creating minified versions of JavaScript source code.
77 - Fetching remote resources that your package will use.
78
79 The advantage of doing these things at `prepublish` time is that they can be done once, in a single place, thus reducing complexity and variability. Additionally, this means that:
80
81 - You can depend on `coffee-script` as a `devDependency`, and thus your users don't need to have it installed.
82 - You don't need to include minifiers in your package, reducing the size for your users.
83 - You don't need to rely on your users having `curl` or `wget` or other system tools on the target machines.
84
85 ### Life Cycle Operation Order
86
87 #### [`npm publish`](/cli/v6/commands/npm-publish)
88
89 - `prepublishOnly`
90 - `prepare`
91 - `prepublish`
92 - `publish`
93 - `postpublish`
94
95 #### [`npm pack`](/cli/v6/commands/npm-pack)
96
97 - `prepack`
98 - `postpack`
99
100 #### [`npm install`](/cli/v6/commands/npm-install)
101
102 - `preinstall`
103 - `install`
104 - `postinstall`
105
106 Also triggers
107
108 - `prepublish` (when on local)
109 - `prepare` (when on local)
110
111 #### [`npm start`](/cli/v6/commands/npm-start)
112
113 `npm run start` has an `npm start` shorthand.
114
115 - `prestart`
116 - `start`
117 - `poststart`
118
119 ### Default Values
120
121 npm will default some script values based on package contents.
122
123 - `"start": "node server.js"`:
124
125 If there is a `server.js` file in the root of your package, then npm will default the `start` command to `node server.js`.
126
127 - `"install": "node-gyp rebuild"`:
128
129 If there is a `binding.gyp` file in the root of your package and you haven't defined your own `install` or `preinstall` scripts, npm will default the `install` command to compile using node-gyp.
130
131 ### User
132
133 If npm was invoked with root privileges, then it will change the uid to the user account or uid specified by the `user` config, which defaults to `nobody`. Set the `unsafe-perm` flag to run scripts with root privileges.
134
135 ### Environment
136
137 Package scripts run in an environment where many pieces of information are made available regarding the setup of npm and the current state of the process.
138
139 #### path
140
141 If you depend on modules that define executable scripts, like test suites, then those executables will be added to the `PATH` for executing the scripts. So, if your package.json has this:
142
143 ```json
144 {
145 "name": "foo",
146 "dependencies": {
147 "bar": "0.1.x"
148 },
149 "scripts": {
150 "start": "bar ./test"
151 }
152 }
153 ```
154
155 then you could run `npm start` to execute the `bar` script, which is exported into the `node_modules/.bin` directory on `npm install`.
156
157 #### package.json vars
158
159 The package.json fields are tacked onto the `npm_package_` prefix. So, for instance, if you had `{"name":"foo", "version":"1.2.5"}` in your package.json file, then your package scripts would have the `npm_package_name` environment variable set to "foo", and the `npm_package_version` set to "1.2.5". You can access these variables in your code with `process.env.npm_package_name` and `process.env.npm_package_version`, and so on for other fields.
160
161 #### configuration
162
163 Configuration parameters are put in the environment with the `npm_config_` prefix. For instance, you can view the effective `root` config by checking the `npm_config_root` environment variable.
164
165 #### Special: package.json "config" object
166
167 The package.json "config" keys are overwritten in the environment if there is a config param of `<name>[@<version>]:<key>`. For example, if the package.json has this:
168
169 ```json
170 {
171 "name": "foo",
172 "config": {
173 "port": "8080"
174 },
175 "scripts": {
176 "start": "node server.js"
177 }
178 }
179 ```
180
181 and the server.js is this:
182
183 ```javascript
184 http.createServer(...).listen(process.env.npm_package_config_port)
185 ```
186
187 then the user could change the behavior by doing:
188
189 ```bash
190 npm config set foo:port 80
191 ```
192
193 #### current lifecycle event
194
195 Lastly, the `npm_lifecycle_event` environment variable is set to whichever stage of the cycle is being executed. So, you could have a single script used for different parts of the process which switches based on what's currently happening.
196
197 Objects are flattened following this format, so if you had `{"scripts":{"install":"foo.js"}}` in your package.json, then you'd see this in the script:
198
199 ```bash
200 process.env.npm_package_scripts_install === "foo.js"
201 ```
202
203 ### Examples
204
205 For example, if your package.json contains this:
206
207 ```json
208 {
209 "scripts": {
210 "install": "scripts/install.js",
211 "postinstall": "scripts/install.js",
212 "uninstall": "scripts/uninstall.js"
213 }
214 }
215 ```
216
217 then `scripts/install.js` will be called for the install and post-install stages of the lifecycle, and `scripts/uninstall.js` will be called when the package is uninstalled. Since `scripts/install.js` is running for two different phases, it would be wise in this case to look at the `npm_lifecycle_event` environment variable.
218
219 If you want to run a make command, you can do so. This works just fine:
220
221 ```json
222 {
223 "scripts": {
224 "preinstall": "./configure",
225 "install": "make && make install",
226 "test": "make test"
227 }
228 }
229 ```
230
231 ### Exiting
232
233 Scripts are run by passing the line as a script argument to `sh`.
234
235 If the script exits with a code other than 0, then this will abort the process.
236
237 Note that these script files don't have to be nodejs or even javascript programs. They just have to be some kind of executable file.
238
239 ### Hook Scripts
240
241 If you want to run a specific script at a specific lifecycle event for ALL packages, then you can use a hook script.
242
243 Place an executable file at `node_modules/.hooks/{eventname}`, and it'll get run for all packages when they are going through that point in the package lifecycle for any packages installed in that root.
244
245 Hook scripts are run exactly the same way as package.json scripts. That is, they are in a separate child process, with the env described above.
246
247 ### Best Practices
248
249 - Don't exit with a non-zero error code unless you _really_ mean it. Except for uninstall scripts, this will cause the npm action to fail, and potentially be rolled back. If the failure is minor or only will prevent some optional features, then it's better to just print a warning and exit successfully.
250 - Try not to use scripts to do what npm can do for you. Read through [`package.json`](/cli/v6/configuring-npm/package-json) to see all the things that you can specify and enable by simply describing your package appropriately. In general, this will lead to a more robust and consistent state.
251 - Inspect the env to determine where to put things. For instance, if the `npm_config_binroot` environment variable is set to `/home/user/bin`, then don't try to install executables into `/usr/local/bin`. The user probably set it up that way for a reason.
252 - Don't prefix your script commands with "sudo". If root permissions are required for some reason, then it'll fail with that error, and the user will sudo the npm command in question.
253 - Don't use `install`. Use a `.gyp` file for compilation, and `prepublish` for anything else. You should almost never have to explicitly set a preinstall or install script. If you are doing this, please consider if there is another option. The only valid use of `install` or `preinstall` scripts is for compilation which must be done on the target architecture.
254
255 ### See Also
256
257 - [npm run-script](/cli/v6/commands/npm-run-script)
258 - [package.json](/cli/v6/configuring-npm/package-json)
259 - [npm developers](/cli/v6/using-npm/developers)
260 - [npm install](/cli/v6/commands/npm-install)