npm Cheatsheet

npm is the default package manager for Node.js, used to install and manage JavaScript dependencies. This cheatsheet covers the commands you use most.

Getting Started

Initialize a project.

npm init            # interactive setup
npm init -y         # accept all defaults

Installing Packages

Add dependencies.

npm install express          # add dependency
npm install -D vitest        # dev dependency
npm install -g typescript    # global install
npm install lodash@4.17.21   # specific version
npm install                  # install from package.json

Removing & Updating

Manage installed packages.

npm uninstall express        # remove package
npm update                   # update packages
npm outdated                 # list outdated
npm ls                       # list installed

Running Scripts

Execute package.json scripts.

npm run dev          # run "dev" script
npm start            # shortcut for "start"
npm test             # shortcut for "test"
npm run build        # run "build" script

package.json Scripts

Define custom commands.

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "next dev",
    "build": "next build",
    "test": "vitest"
  }
}

npx

Run packages without installing.

npx create-next-app my-app
npx prettier --write .
npx tsc --init

Versioning

Bump and publish.

npm version patch    # 1.0.0 -> 1.0.1
npm version minor    # 1.0.0 -> 1.1.0
npm version major    # 1.0.0 -> 2.0.0
npm publish          # publish to registry

Auditing

Check for vulnerabilities.

npm audit            # report issues
npm audit fix        # auto-fix where possible

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npm makes managing JavaScript dependencies simple. Learn these commands, then explore alternatives like pnpm and yarn for faster installs.

For full documentation, see https://docs.npmjs.com/