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Editing: npm-update.md
--- section: cli-commands title: npm-update description: Update a package --- # npm-update(1) ## Update a package ### Synopsis ```bash npm update [-g] [<pkg>...] aliases: up, upgrade ``` ### Description This command will update all the packages listed to the latest version (specified by the `tag` config), respecting semver. It will also install missing packages. As with all commands that install packages, the `--dev` flag will cause `devDependencies` to be processed as well. If the `-g` flag is specified, this command will update globally installed packages. If no package name is specified, all packages in the specified location (global or local) will be updated. As of `npm@2.6.1`, the `npm update` will only inspect top-level packages. Prior versions of `npm` would also recursively inspect all dependencies. To get the old behavior, use `npm --depth 9999 update`. As of `npm@5.0.0`, the `npm update` will change `package.json` to save the new version as the minimum required dependency. To get the old behavior, use `npm update --no-save`. ### Example IMPORTANT VERSION NOTE: these examples assume `npm@2.6.1` or later. For older versions of `npm`, you must specify `--depth 0` to get the behavior described below. For the examples below, assume that the current package is `app` and it depends on dependencies, `dep1` (`dep2`, .. etc.). The published versions of `dep1` are: ```json { "dist-tags": { "latest": "1.2.2" }, "versions": [ "1.2.2", "1.2.1", "1.2.0", "1.1.2", "1.1.1", "1.0.0", "0.4.1", "0.4.0", "0.2.0" ] } ``` #### Caret Dependencies If `app`'s `package.json` contains: ```json "dependencies": { "dep1": "^1.1.1" } ``` Then `npm update` will install `dep1@1.2.2`, because `1.2.2` is `latest` and `1.2.2` satisfies `^1.1.1`. #### Tilde Dependencies However, if `app`'s `package.json` contains: ```json "dependencies": { "dep1": "~1.1.1" } ``` In this case, running `npm update` will install `dep1@1.1.2`. Even though the `latest` tag points to `1.2.2`, this version does not satisfy `~1.1.1`, which is equivalent to `>=1.1.1 <1.2.0`. So the highest-sorting version that satisfies `~1.1.1` is used, which is `1.1.2`. #### Caret Dependencies below 1.0.0 Suppose `app` has a caret dependency on a version below `1.0.0`, for example: ```json "dependencies": { "dep1": "^0.2.0" } ``` `npm update` will install `dep1@0.2.0`, because there are no other versions which satisfy `^0.2.0`. If the dependence were on `^0.4.0`: ```json "dependencies": { "dep1": "^0.4.0" } ``` Then `npm update` will install `dep1@0.4.1`, because that is the highest-sorting version that satisfies `^0.4.0` (`>= 0.4.0 <0.5.0`) #### Updating Globally-Installed Packages `npm update -g` will apply the `update` action to each globally installed package that is `outdated` -- that is, has a version that is different from `wanted`. Note: Globally installed packages are treated as if they are installed with a caret semver range specified. So if you require to update to `latest` you may need to run `npm install -g [<pkg>...]` NOTE: If a package has been upgraded to a version newer than `latest`, it will be _downgraded_. ### See Also * [npm install](/cli-commands/npm-install) * [npm outdated](/cli-commands/npm-outdated) * [npm shrinkwrap](/cli-commands/npm-shrinkwrap) * [npm registry](/using-npm/registry) * [npm folders](/configuring-npm/folders) * [npm ls](/cli-commands/npm-ls)
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