1 ---
2 title: npm-publish
3 section: 1
4 description: Publish a package
5 github_repo: npm/cli
6 github_branch: latest
7 github_path: docs/lib/content/commands/npm-publish.md
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36 ---
37
38 ### Synopsis
39
40 ```bash
41 npm publish <package-spec>
42 ```
43
44 ### Description
45
46 Publishes a package to the registry so that it can be installed by name.
47
48 ### Examples
49
50 Publish the package in the current directory:
51
52 ```bash
53 npm publish
54 ```
55
56 Publish a specific workspace:
57
58 ```bash
59 npm publish --workspace=<workspace-name>
60 ```
61
62 Publish multiple workspaces:
63
64 ```bash
65 npm publish --workspace=workspace-a --workspace=workspace-b
66 ```
67
68 Publish all workspaces:
69
70 ```bash
71 npm publish --workspaces
72 ```
73
74 By default npm will publish to the public registry. This can be overridden by specifying a different default registry or using a [`scope`](/cli/v11/using-npm/scope) in the name, combined with a scope-configured registry (see [`package.json`](/cli/v11/configuring-npm/package-json)).
75
76 A `package` is interpreted the same way as other commands (like `npm install`) and can be:
77
78 - a) a folder containing a program described by a [`package.json`](/cli/v11/configuring-npm/package-json) file
79 - b) a gzipped tarball containing (a)
80 - c) a url that resolves to (b)
81 - d) a `<name>@<version>` that is published on the registry (see [`registry`](/cli/v11/using-npm/registry)) with (c)
82 - e) a `<name>@<tag>` (see [`npm dist-tag`](/cli/v11/commands/npm-dist-tag)) that points to (d)
83 - f) a `<name>` that has a "latest" tag satisfying (e)
84 - g) a `<git remote url>` that resolves to (a)
85
86 The publish will fail if the package name and version combination already exists in the specified registry.
87
88 Once a package is published with a given name and version, that specific name and version combination can never be used again, even if it is removed with [`npm unpublish`](/cli/v11/commands/npm-unpublish).
89
90 As of `npm@5`, both a sha1sum and an integrity field with a sha512sum of the tarball will be submitted to the registry during publication. Subsequent installs will use the strongest supported algorithm to verify downloads.
91
92 Similar to `--dry-run` see [`npm pack`](/cli/v11/commands/npm-pack), which figures out the files to be included and packs them into a tarball to be uploaded to the registry.
93
94 ### Files included in package
95
96 To see what will be included in your package, run `npm pack --dry-run`. All files are included by default, with the following exceptions:
97
98 - Certain files that are relevant to package installation and distribution are always included. For example, `package.json`, `README.md`, `LICENSE`, and so on.
99
100 - If there is a "files" list in [`package.json`](/cli/v11/configuring-npm/package-json), then only the files specified will be included. (If directories are specified, then they will be walked recursively and their contents included, subject to the same ignore rules.)
101
102 - If there is a `.gitignore` or `.npmignore` file, then ignored files in that and all child directories will be excluded from the package. If _both_ files exist, then the `.gitignore` is ignored, and only the `.npmignore` is used.
103
104 `.npmignore` files follow the [same pattern rules](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Basics-Recording-Changes-to-the-Repository#_ignoring) as `.gitignore` files
105
106 - If the file matches certain patterns, then it will _never_ be included, unless explicitly added to the `"files"` list in `package.json`, or un-ignored with a `!` rule in a `.npmignore` or `.gitignore` file.
107
108 - Symbolic links are never included in npm packages.
109
110 See [`developers`](/cli/v11/using-npm/developers) for full details on what's included in the published package, as well as details on how the package is built.
111
112 See [`package.json`](/cli/v11/configuring-npm/package-json) for more info on what can and can't be ignored.
113
114 ### Configuration
115
116 #### `tag`
117
118 - Default: "latest"
119 - Type: String
120
121 If you ask npm to install a package and don't tell it a specific version, then it will install the specified tag.
122
123 It is the tag added to the package@version specified in the `npm dist-tag add` command, if no explicit tag is given.
124
125 When used by the `npm diff` command, this is the tag used to fetch the tarball that will be compared with the local files by default.
126
127 If used in the `npm publish` command, this is the tag that will be added to the package submitted to the registry.
128
129 #### `access`
130
131 - Default: 'public' for new packages, existing packages it will not change the current level
132 - Type: null, "restricted", or "public"
133
134 If you do not want your scoped package to be publicly viewable (and installable) set `--access=restricted`.
135
136 Unscoped packages cannot be set to `restricted`.
137
138 Note: This defaults to not changing the current access level for existing packages. Specifying a value of `restricted` or `public` during publish will change the access for an existing package the same way that `npm access set status` would.
139
140 #### `dry-run`
141
142 - Default: false
143 - Type: Boolean
144
145 Indicates that you don't want npm to make any changes and that it should only report what it would have done. This can be passed into any of the commands that modify your local installation, eg, `install`, `update`, `dedupe`, `uninstall`, as well as `pack` and `publish`.
146
147 Note: This is NOT honored by other network related commands, eg `dist-tags`, `owner`, etc.
148
149 #### `otp`
150
151 - Default: null
152 - Type: null or String
153
154 This is a one-time password from a two-factor authenticator. It's needed when publishing or changing package permissions with `npm access`.
155
156 If not set, and a registry response fails with a challenge for a one-time password, npm will prompt on the command line for one.
157
158 #### `workspace`
159
160 - Default:
161 - Type: String (can be set multiple times)
162
163 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.
164
165 Valid values for the `workspace` config are either:
166
167 - Workspace names
168 - Path to a workspace directory
169 - Path to a parent workspace directory (will result in selecting all workspaces within that folder)
170
171 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.
172
173 This value is not exported to the environment for child processes.
174
175 #### `workspaces`
176
177 - Default: null
178 - Type: null or Boolean
179
180 Set to true to run the command in the context of **all** configured workspaces.
181
182 Explicitly setting this to false will cause commands like `install` to ignore workspaces altogether. When not set explicitly:
183
184 - Commands that operate on the `node_modules` tree (install, update, etc.) will link workspaces into the `node_modules` folder. - Commands that do other things (test, exec, publish, etc.) will operate on the root project, _unless_ one or more workspaces are specified in the `workspace` config.
185
186 This value is not exported to the environment for child processes.
187
188 #### `include-workspace-root`
189
190 - Default: false
191 - Type: Boolean
192
193 Include the workspace root when workspaces are enabled for a command.
194
195 When false, specifying individual workspaces via the `workspace` config, or all workspaces via the `workspaces` flag, will cause npm to operate only on the specified workspaces, and not on the root project.
196
197 This value is not exported to the environment for child processes.
198
199 #### `provenance`
200
201 - Default: false
202 - Type: Boolean
203
204 When publishing from a supported cloud CI/CD system, the package will be publicly linked to where it was built and published from.
205
206 This config cannot be used with: `provenance-file`
207
208 #### `provenance-file`
209
210 - Default: null
211 - Type: Path
212
213 When publishing, the provenance bundle at the given path will be used.
214
215 This config cannot be used with: `provenance`
216
217 ### See Also
218
219 - [package spec](/cli/v11/using-npm/package-spec)
220 - [npm-packlist package](http://npm.im/npm-packlist)
221 - [npm registry](/cli/v11/using-npm/registry)
222 - [npm scope](/cli/v11/using-npm/scope)
223 - [npm adduser](/cli/v11/commands/npm-adduser)
224 - [npm owner](/cli/v11/commands/npm-owner)
225 - [npm deprecate](/cli/v11/commands/npm-deprecate)
226 - [npm dist-tag](/cli/v11/commands/npm-dist-tag)
227 - [npm pack](/cli/v11/commands/npm-pack)
228 - [npm profile](/cli/v11/commands/npm-profile)