# npm-check-updates
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/npm-check-updates)
[](https://github.com/raineorshine/npm-check-updates/actions?query=workflow%3ATests+branch%3Amain)
**npm-check-updates upgrades your package.json dependencies to the _latest_ versions, ignoring specified versions.**
- maintains existing semantic versioning _policies_, i.e. `"react": "^17.0.2"` to `"react": "^18.3.1"`.
- _only_ modifies package.json file. Run `npm install` to update your installed packages and package-lock.json.
- sensible defaults, but highly customizable
- compatible with npm, yarn, pnpm, deno, and bun
- CLI and module usage
$${\color{red}Red}$$ major upgrade (and all [major version zero](https://semver.org/#spec-item-4))
$${\color{cyan}Cyan}$$ minor upgrade
$${\color{green}Green}$$ patch upgrade
## Installation
Install globally to use `npm-check-updates` or the shorter `ncu`:
```sh
npm install -g npm-check-updates
```
Or run with [npx](https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v7/commands/npx) (only the long form is supported):
```sh
npx npm-check-updates
```
## Usage
Check the latest versions of all project dependencies:
```sh
$ ncu
Checking package.json
[====================] 5/5 100%
eslint 7.32.0 → 8.0.0
prettier ^2.7.1 → ^3.0.0
svelte ^3.48.0 → ^3.51.0
typescript >3.0.0 → >4.0.0
untildify <4.0.0 → ^4.0.0
webpack 4.x → 5.x
Run ncu -u to upgrade package.json
```
Upgrade a project's package file:
> **Make sure your package file is in version control and all changes have been committed. This _will_ overwrite your package file.**
```sh
$ ncu -u
Upgrading package.json
[====================] 1/1 100%
express 4.12.x → 4.13.x
Run npm install to install new versions.
$ npm install # update installed packages and package-lock.json
```
Check global packages:
```sh
ncu -g
```
## Interactive Mode
Choose which packages to update in interactive mode:
```sh
ncu --interactive
ncu -i
```

Combine with `--format group` for a truly _luxe_ experience:

## Filter packages
Filter packages using the `--filter` option or adding additional cli arguments:
```sh
# upgrade only mocha
ncu mocha
ncu -f mocha
ncu --filter mocha
# upgrade only chalk, mocha, and react
ncu chalk mocha react
ncu chalk, mocha, react
ncu -f "chalk mocha react"
```
Filter with wildcards or regex:
```sh
# upgrade packages that start with "react-"
ncu react-*
ncu "/^react-.*$/"
```
Exclude specific packages with the `--reject` option or prefixing a filter with `!`. Supports strings, wildcards, globs, comma-or-space-delimited lists, and regex:
```sh
# upgrade everything except nodemon
ncu \!nodemon
ncu -x nodemon
ncu --reject nodemon
# upgrade packages that do not start with "react-".
ncu \!react-*
ncu '/^(?!react-).*$/' # mac/linux
ncu "/^(?!react-).*$/" # windows
```
Advanced filters: [filter](https://github.com/raineorshine/npm-check-updates#filter), [filterResults](https://github.com/raineorshine/npm-check-updates#filterresults), [filterVersion](https://github.com/raineorshine/npm-check-updates#filterversion)
## How dependency updates are determined
- Direct dependencies are updated to the latest stable version:
- `2.0.1` → `2.2.0`
- `1.2` → `1.3`
- `0.1.0` → `1.0.1`
- Range operators are preserved and the version is updated:
- `^1.2.0` → `^2.0.0`
- `1.x` → `2.x`
- `>0.2.0` → `>0.3.0`
- "Less than" is replaced with a wildcard:
- `<2.0.0` → `^3.0.0`
- `1.0.0 < 2.0.0` → `^3.0.0`
- "Any version" is preserved:
- `*` → `*`
- Prerelease versions are ignored by default.
- Use `--pre` to include prerelease versions (e.g. `alpha`, `beta`, `build1235`)
- Choose what level to upgrade to:
- With `--target semver`, update according to your specified [semver](https://semver.org/) version ranges:
- `^1.1.0` → `^1.9.99`
- With `--target minor`, strictly update the patch and minor versions (including major version zero):
- `0.1.0` → `0.2.1`
- With `--target patch`, strictly update the patch version (including major version zero):
- `0.1.0` → `0.1.2`
- With `--target @next`, update to the version published on the `next` tag:
- `0.1.0` -> `0.1.1-next.1`
## Options
Options are merged with the following precedence:
1. Command line options
2. Local [Config File](#config-file)
3. Project Config File
4. User Config File
Options that take no arguments can be negated by prefixing them with `--no-`, e.g. `--no-peer`.
| --cache |
Cache versions to a local cache file. Default --cacheFile is ~/.ncu-cache.json and default --cacheExpiration is 10 minutes. |
| --cacheClear |
Clear the default cache, or the cache file specified by --cacheFile. |
| --cacheExpiration <min> |
Cache expiration in minutes. Only works with --cache. (default: 10) |
| --cacheFile <path> |
Filepath for the cache file. Only works with --cache. (default: "~/.ncu-cache.json") |
| --color |
Force color in terminal. |
| --concurrency <n> |
Max number of concurrent HTTP requests to registry. (default: 8) |
| --configFileName <s> |
Config file name. (default: .ncurc.{json,yml,js,cjs}) |
| --configFilePath <path> |
Directory of .ncurc config file. (default: directory of packageFile) |
| --cwd <path> |
Working directory in which npm will be executed. |
| --deep |
Run recursively in current working directory. Alias of (--packageFile '**/package.json'). |
| --dep <value> |
Check one or more sections of dependencies only: dev, optional, peer, prod, or packageManager (comma-delimited). (default: ["prod","dev","optional","packageManager"]) |
| --deprecated |
Include deprecated packages. Use --no-deprecated to exclude deprecated packages (uses more bandwidth). (default: true) |
| -d, --doctor |
Iteratively installs upgrades and runs tests to identify breaking upgrades. Requires -u to execute. |
| --doctorInstall <command> |
Specifies the install script to use in doctor mode. (default: npm install or the equivalent for your package manager) |
| --doctorTest <command> |
Specifies the test script to use in doctor mode. (default: npm test) |
| --enginesNode |
Include only packages that satisfy engines.node as specified in the package file. |
| -e, --errorLevel <n> |
Set the error level. 1: exits with error code 0 if no errors occur. 2: exits with error code 0 if no packages need updating (useful for continuous integration). (default: 1) |
| -f, --filter <p> |
Include only package names matching the given string, wildcard, glob, comma-or-space-delimited list, /regex/, or predicate function. |
| filterResults <fn> |
Filters out upgrades based on a user provided function. |
| --filterVersion <p> |
Filter on package version using comma-or-space-delimited list, /regex/, or predicate function. |
| --format <value> |
Modify the output formatting or show additional information. Specify one or more comma-delimited values: group, ownerChanged, repo, time, lines, installedVersion. (default: []) |
| -g, --global |
Check global packages instead of in the current project. |
| groupFunction <fn> |
Customize how packages are divided into groups when using --format group. |
| --install <value> |
Control the auto-install behavior: always, never, prompt. (default: "prompt") |
| -i, --interactive |
Enable interactive prompts for each dependency; implies -u unless one of the json options are set. |
| -j, --jsonAll |
Output new package file instead of human-readable message. |
| --jsonDeps |
Like jsonAll but only lists dependencies, devDependencies, optionalDependencies, etc of the new package data. |
| --jsonUpgraded |
Output upgraded dependencies in json. |
| -l, --loglevel <n> |
Amount to log: silent, error, minimal, warn, info, verbose, silly. (default: "warn") |
| --mergeConfig |
Merges nested configs with the root config file for --deep or --packageFile options. (default: false) |
| -m, --minimal |
Do not upgrade newer versions that are already satisfied by the version range according to semver. |
| --packageData <value> |
Package file data (you can also use stdin). |
| --packageFile <path|glob> |
Package file(s) location. (default: ./package.json) |
| -p, --packageManager <s> |
npm, yarn, pnpm, deno, bun, staticRegistry (default: npm). |
| --peer |
Check peer dependencies of installed packages and filter updates to compatible versions. |
| --pre <n> |
Include prerelease versions, e.g. -alpha.0, -beta.5, -rc.2. Automatically set to 1 when --target is newest or greatest, or when the current version is a prerelease. (default: 0) |
| --prefix <path> |
Current working directory of npm. |
| -r, --registry <uri> |
Specify the registry to use when looking up package versions. |
| --registryType <type> |
Specify whether --registry refers to a full npm registry or a simple JSON file or url: npm, json. (default: npm) |
| -x, --reject <p> |
Exclude packages matching the given string, wildcard, glob, comma-or-space-delimited list, /regex/, or predicate function. |
| --rejectVersion <p> |
Exclude package.json versions using comma-or-space-delimited list, /regex/, or predicate function. |
| --removeRange |
Remove version ranges from the final package version. |
| --retry <n> |
Number of times to retry failed requests for package info. (default: 3) |
| --root |
Runs updates on the root project in addition to specified workspaces. Only allowed with --workspace or --workspaces. (default: true) |
| -s, --silent |
Don't output anything. Alias for --loglevel silent. |
| --stdin |
Read package.json from stdin. |
| -t, --target <value> |
Determines the version to upgrade to: latest, newest, greatest, minor, patch, semver, @[tag], or [function]. (default: latest) |
| --timeout <ms> |
Global timeout in milliseconds. (default: no global timeout and 30 seconds per npm-registry-fetch) |
| -u, --upgrade |
Overwrite package file with upgraded versions instead of just outputting to console. |
| --verbose |
Log additional information for debugging. Alias for --loglevel verbose. |
| -w, --workspace <s> |
Run on one or more specified workspaces. Add --root to also upgrade the root project. (default: []) |
| -ws, --workspaces |
Run on all workspaces. Add --root to also upgrade the root project. |
## Advanced Options
Some options have advanced usage, or allow per-package values by specifying a function in your .ncurc.js file.
Run `ncu --help [OPTION]` to view advanced help for a specific option, or see below:
## doctor
Usage:
ncu --doctor -u
ncu --no-doctor
ncu -du
Iteratively installs upgrades and runs your project's tests to identify breaking upgrades. Reverts broken upgrades and updates package.json with working upgrades.
Requires `-u` to execute (modifies your package file, lock file, and node_modules)
To be more precise:
1. Runs `npm install` and `npm test` to ensure tests are currently passing.
2. Runs `ncu -u` to optimistically upgrade all dependencies.
3. If tests pass, hurray!
4. If tests fail, restores package file and lock file.
5. For each dependency, install upgrade and run tests.
6. Prints broken upgrades with test error.
7. Saves working upgrades to package.json.
Additional options: