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1 ---
2 title: workspaces
3 section: 7
4 description: Working with workspaces
5 github_repo: npm/cli
6 github_branch: release/v9
7 github_path: docs/lib/content/using-npm/workspaces.md
8 redirect_from:
9 - /cli-documentation/v9/misc/workspaces
10 - /cli-documentation/v9/using-npm/workspaces
11 - /cli/v9/misc/workspaces
12 ---
13
14 ### Description
15
16 **Workspaces** is a generic term that refers to the set of features in the npm cli that provides support to managing multiple packages from your local file system from within a singular top-level, root package.
17
18 This set of features makes up for a much more streamlined workflow handling linked packages from the local file system. Automating the linking process as part of `npm install` and avoiding manually having to use `npm link` in order to add references to packages that should be symlinked into the current `node_modules` folder.
19
20 We also refer to these packages being auto-symlinked during `npm install` as a single **workspace**, meaning it's a nested package within the current local file system that is explicitly defined in the [`package.json`](/cli/v9/configuring-npm/package-json#workspaces) `workspaces` configuration.
21
22 ### Defining workspaces
23
24 Workspaces are usually defined via the `workspaces` property of the [`package.json`](/cli/v9/configuring-npm/package-json#workspaces) file, e.g:
25
26 ```json
27 {
28 "name": "my-workspaces-powered-project",
29 "workspaces": ["packages/a"]
30 }
31 ```
32
33 Given the above `package.json` example living at a current working directory `.` that contains a folder named `packages/a` that itself contains a `package.json` inside it, defining a Node.js package, e.g:
34
35 ```
36 .
37 +-- package.json
38 `-- packages
39 +-- a
40 | `-- package.json
41 ```
42
43 The expected result once running `npm install` in this current working directory `.` is that the folder `packages/a` will get symlinked to the `node_modules` folder of the current working dir.
44
45 Below is a post `npm install` example, given that same previous example structure of files and folders:
46
47 ```
48 .
49 +-- node_modules
50 | `-- a -> ../packages/a
51 +-- package-lock.json
52 +-- package.json
53 `-- packages
54 +-- a
55 | `-- package.json
56 ```
57
58 ### Getting started with workspaces
59
60 You may automate the required steps to define a new workspace using [npm init](/cli/v9/commands/npm-init). For example in a project that already has a `package.json` defined you can run:
61
62 ```
63 npm init -w ./packages/a
64 ```
65
66 This command will create the missing folders and a new `package.json` file (if needed) while also making sure to properly configure the `"workspaces"` property of your root project `package.json`.
67
68 ### Adding dependencies to a workspace
69
70 It's possible to directly add/remove/update dependencies of your workspaces using the [`workspace` config](/cli/v9/using-npm/config#workspace).
71
72 For example, assuming the following structure:
73
74 ```
75 .
76 +-- package.json
77 `-- packages
78 +-- a
79 | `-- package.json
80 `-- b
81 `-- package.json
82 ```
83
84 If you want to add a dependency named `abbrev` from the registry as a dependency of your workspace **a**, you may use the workspace config to tell the npm installer that package should be added as a dependency of the provided workspace:
85
86 ```
87 npm install abbrev -w packages/a
88 ```
89
90 Note: other installing commands such as `uninstall`, `ci`, etc will also respect the provided `workspace` configuration.
91
92 ### Using workspaces
93
94 Given the [specifities of how Node.js handles module resolution](https://nodejs.org/dist/latest-v14.x/docs/api/modules.html#modules_all_together) it's possible to consume any defined workspace by its declared `package.json` `name`. Continuing from the example defined above, let's also create a Node.js script that will require the workspace `a` example module, e.g:
95
96 ```
97 // ./packages/a/index.js
98 module.exports = 'a'
99
100 // ./lib/index.js
101 const moduleA = require('a')
102 console.log(moduleA) // -> a
103 ```
104
105 When running it with:
106
107 `node lib/index.js`
108
109 This demonstrates how the nature of `node_modules` resolution allows for **workspaces** to enable a portable workflow for requiring each **workspace** in such a way that is also easy to [publish](/cli/v9/commands/npm-publish) these nested workspaces to be consumed elsewhere.
110
111 ### Running commands in the context of workspaces
112
113 You can use the `workspace` configuration option to run commands in the context of a configured workspace. Additionally, if your current directory is in a workspace, the `workspace` configuration is implicitly set, and `prefix` is set to the root workspace.
114
115 Following is a quick example on how to use the `npm run` command in the context of nested workspaces. For a project containing multiple workspaces, e.g:
116
117 ```
118 .
119 +-- package.json
120 `-- packages
121 +-- a
122 | `-- package.json
123 `-- b
124 `-- package.json
125 ```
126
127 By running a command using the `workspace` option, it's possible to run the given command in the context of that specific workspace. e.g:
128
129 ```
130 npm run test --workspace=a
131 ```
132
133 You could also run the command within the workspace.
134
135 ```
136 cd packages/a && npm run test
137 ```
138
139 Either will run the `test` script defined within the `./packages/a/package.json` file.
140
141 Please note that you can also specify this argument multiple times in the command-line in order to target multiple workspaces, e.g:
142
143 ```
144 npm run test --workspace=a --workspace=b
145 ```
146
147 Or run the command for each workspace within the 'packages' folder:
148
149 ```
150 npm run test --workspace=packages
151 ```
152
153 It's also possible to use the `workspaces` (plural) configuration option to enable the same behavior but running that command in the context of **all** configured workspaces. e.g:
154
155 ```
156 npm run test --workspaces
157 ```
158
159 Will run the `test` script in both `./packages/a` and `./packages/b`.
160
161 Commands will be run in each workspace in the order they appear in your `package.json`
162
163 ```
164 {
165 "workspaces": [ "packages/a", "packages/b" ]
166 }
167 ```
168
169 Order of run is different with:
170
171 ```
172 {
173 "workspaces": [ "packages/b", "packages/a" ]
174 }
175 ```
176
177 ### Ignoring missing scripts
178
179 It is not required for all of the workspaces to implement scripts run with the `npm run` command.
180
181 By running the command with the `--if-present` flag, npm will ignore workspaces missing target script.
182
183 ```
184 npm run test --workspaces --if-present
185 ```
186
187 ### See also
188
189 - [npm install](/cli/v9/commands/npm-install)
190 - [npm publish](/cli/v9/commands/npm-publish)
191 - [npm run-script](/cli/v9/commands/npm-run-script)
192 - [config](/cli/v9/using-npm/config)