npm packages in the package registry

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Node Package Manager (npm) is the default package manager for JavaScript and Node.js. Developers use npm to share and reuse code, manage dependencies, and streamline project workflows. In GitLab, npm packages play a crucial role in the software development lifecycle.

For documentation of the specific API endpoints that the npm package manager client uses, see the npm API documentation.

Learn how to build an npm or yarn package.

Watch a video demo of how to publish npm packages to the GitLab package registry.

Authenticate to the package registry

You must authenticate to the package registry to publish or install a package from a private project or a private group. You don't need to authenticate if the project or the group is public. If the project is internal, you must be a registered user on the GitLab instance. An anonymous user cannot pull packages from an internal project.

To authenticate, you can use:

• A personal access token with the scope set to api.
• A deploy token with the scope set to read_package_registry, write_package_registry, or both.
• A CI job token.

If your organization uses two-factor authentication (2FA), you must use a personal access token with the scope set to api. If you are publishing a package via CI/CD pipelines, you must use a CI job token. For more information, review the guidance on tokens.

Do not use authentication methods other than the methods documented here. Undocumented authentication methods might be removed in the future.

Authenticate with the .npmrc

Create or edit the .npmrc file in the same directory as your package.json. Include the following lines in the .npmrc file:

  //your_domain_name/api/v4/projects/your_project_id/packages/npm/:_authToken="${NPM_TOKEN}"

If you're installing:

• From an instance:

  //your_domain_name/api/v4/packages/npm/:_authToken="${NPM_TOKEN}"

• From a group:

  //your_domain_name/api/v4/groups/your_group_id/-/packages/npm/:_authToken="${NPM_TOKEN}"

• From a project:

  //your_domain_name/api/v4/projects/your_project_id/packages/npm/:_authToken="${NPM_TOKEN}"

In these examples:

• Replace your_domain_name with your domain name, for example, gitlab.com.
• Replace your_group_id with your group ID, found on the group's home page.
• Replace your_project_id with your project ID, found on the project overview page.
• Replace your_token with a deploy token, group access token, project access token, or personal access token.

WARNING: Never hardcode GitLab tokens (or any tokens) directly in .npmrc files or any other files that can be committed to a repository.

Authenticate with npm config set

To do this:

npm config set -- //your_domain_name/:_authToken=your_token

With npm version 7 or earlier, use the full URL to the endpoint.

If you're installing:

• From an instance:

  npm config set -- //your_domain_name/api/v4/packages/npm/:_authToken=your_token

• From a group:

  npm config set -- //your_domain_name/api/v4/groups/your_group_id/-/packages/npm/:_authToken=your_token

• From a project:

  npm config set -- //your_domain_name/api/v4/projects/your_project_id/packages/npm/:_authToken=your_token

In these examples:

• Replace your_domain_name with your domain name, for example, gitlab.com.
• Replace your_group_id with your group ID, found on the group's home page.
• Replace your_project_id with your project ID, found on the project overview page.
• Replace your_token with a deploy token, group access token, project access token, or personal access token.

NOTE: In npm versions 8 and later, you can use a URI fragment instead of a full URL in the _authToken parameter. However, group-specific endpoints are not supported.

Set up the registry URL

To publish or install packages from the GitLab Package Registry, you need to configure npm to use the correct registry URL. The configuration method and URL structure depend on whether you're publishing or installing packages.

Before configuring the registry URL, it's important to understand the scope of different configuration methods:

• .npmrc file: Configuration is local to the folder containing the file.
• npm config set command: This modifies the global npm configuration and affects all npm commands run on your system.
• publishConfig in package.json: This configuration is specific to the package and only applies when publishing that package.

WARNING: Running npm config set changes the global npm configuration. The change affects all npm commands run on your system, regardless of the current working directory. Be cautious when using this method, especially on shared systems.

For publishing packages

When publishing packages, use the project endpoint. The URL structure is:

https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/<project_id>/packages/npm/

Replace gitlab.example.com with your GitLab instance's domain and <project_id> with your project's ID. To configure this URL, use one of these methods:

::Tabs

:::TabTitle .npmrc file

Create or edit the .npmrc file in your project root:

@scope:registry=https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/<project_id>/packages/npm/ //gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/<project_id>/packages/npm/:_authToken="${NPM_TOKEN}"

:::TabTitle npm config

Use the npm config set command:

npm config set @scope:registry=https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/<project_id>/packages/npm/

:::TabTitle package.json

Add a publishConfig section to your package.json:

{
  "publishConfig": {
    "@scope:registry": "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/<project_id>/packages/npm/"
  }
}

::EndTabs

Replace @scope with your package's scope.

For installing packages

When installing packages, you can use project, group, or instance-level endpoints. The URL structure varies accordingly:

You can configure these URLs using one of the following methods:

When you install packages, you can use project, group, or instance endpoints. The URL structure varies accordingly. To configure these URLs, use one of these methods:

::Tabs

:::TabTitle .npmrc file

Create or edit the .npmrc file in your project root. Use the appropriate URL based on your needs:

• For a project:

  npm config set @scope:registry=https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/<project_id>/packages/npm/

• For a group:

  npm config set @scope:registry=https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/<group_id>/-/packages/npm/

• For an instance:

  npm config set @scope:registry=https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/packages/npm/

:::TabTitle npm config

Use the npm config set command with the appropriate URL:

• For a project:

  npm config set @scope:registry=https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/<project_id>/packages/npm/

• For a group:

  npm config set @scope:registry=https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/<group_id>/-/packages/npm/

• For an instance:

  npm config set @scope:registry=https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/packages/npm/

::EndTabs

Replace gitlab.example.com, <project_id>, <group_id>, and @scope with the appropriate values for your GitLab instance and package.

After you configure your registry URL, set up authentication as described in the authentication section.

Publish to GitLab package registry

To publish an npm package to the GitLab package registry, you must be authenticated.

Naming convention

Depending on how the package is installed, you may need to adhere to the naming convention.

You can use one of three API endpoints to install packages:

• Instance: Use when you have many npm packages in different GitLab groups or in their own namespace.
• Group: Use when you have many npm packages in different projects under the same group or subgroup.
• Project: Use when you have few npm packages and they are not in the same GitLab group.

If you plan to install a package from a project or group, then you do not have to adhere to the naming convention.

If you plan to install a package from an instance, then you must name your package with a scope. Scoped packages begin with a @ have the format of @owner/package-name. You can set up the scope for your package in the .npmrc file and by using the publishConfig option in the package.json.

• The value used for the @scope is the root of the project that is hosting the packages and not the root of the project with the source code of the package itself. The scope should be lowercase.
• The package name can be anything you want

Make sure that the name of your package in the package.json file matches this convention:

"name": "@my-org/package-name"

Publishing a package via the command line

After you configure authentication, publish the NPM package with:

npm publish

If you're using an .npmrc file for authentication, set the expected environment variables:

NPM_TOKEN=your_token npm publish

Your package should now publish to the package registry.

If the uploaded package has more than one package.json file, only the first one found is used, and the others are ignored.

Publishing a package by using a CI/CD pipeline

When publishing by using a CI/CD pipeline, you can use the predefined variables ${CI_PROJECT_ID} and ${CI_JOB_TOKEN} to authenticate with your project's package registry. We use these variables to create a .npmrc file for authentication during execution of your CI/CD job.

WARNING: When generating the .npmrc file, do not specify the port after ${CI_SERVER_HOST} if it is a default port, such as 80 for a URL starting with http or 443 for a URL starting with https.

In the GitLab project containing your package.json, edit or create a .gitlab-ci.yml file. For example:

default:
  image: node:latest

stages:
  - deploy

publish-npm:
  stage: deploy
  script:
    - echo "@scope:registry=https://${CI_SERVER_HOST}/api/v4/projects/${CI_PROJECT_ID}/packages/npm/" > .npmrc
    - echo "//${CI_SERVER_HOST}/api/v4/projects/${CI_PROJECT_ID}/packages/npm/:_authToken=${CI_JOB_TOKEN}" >> .npmrc
    - npm publish

• Replace @scope with the scope of the package that is being published.

Your package is published to the package registry when the publish-npm job in your pipeline runs.

Install a package

If multiple packages have the same name and version, when you install a package, the most recently-published package is retrieved.

You can install a package from a GitLab project, group, or instance:

• Instance: Use when you have many npm packages in different GitLab groups or in their own namespace.
• Group: Use when you have many npm packages in different projects in the same GitLab group.
• Project: Use when you have few npm packages and they are not in the same GitLab group.

Install from an instance

WARNING: To install a package from an instance, the package must have been published following the scoped naming convention.

1. Authenticate to the package registry.

2. Set the registry

   npm config set @scope:registry https://your_domain_name.com/api/v4/packages/npm/

   • Replace @scope with the root level group of the project you're installing to the package from.
   • Replace your_domain_name with your domain name, for example gitlab.com.
   • Replace your_token with a deploy token, group access token, project access token, or personal access token.

3. Install the package

   npm install @scope/my-package

Install from a group

• Introduced in GitLab 16.0 with a flag named npm_group_level_endpoints. Disabled by default.
• Generally available in GitLab 16.1. Feature flag npm_group_level_endpoints removed.

1. Authenticate to the package registry.

2. Set the registry

   npm config set @scope:registry=https://your_domain_name/api/v4/groups/your_group_id/-/packages/npm/

   • Replace @scope with the root level group of the group you're installing to the package from.
   • Replace your_domain_name with your domain name, for example, gitlab.com.
   • Replace your_group_id is your group ID, found on the group's home page.

3. Install the package

   npm install @scope/my-package

Install from a project

1. Authenticate to the package registry.

2. Set the registry

   npm config set @scope:registry=https://your_domain_name/api/v4/projects/your_project_id/packages/npm/

   • Replace @scope with the root level group of the project you're installing to the package from.
   • Replace your_domain_name with your domain name, for example, gitlab.com.
   • Replace your_project_id with your project ID, found on the project overview page.

3. Install the package

   npm install @scope/my-package

Package forwarding to npmjs.com

• Introduced in GitLab 12.9.
• Required role changed from Maintainer to Owner in GitLab 17.0.

When an npm package is not found in the package registry, GitLab responds with an HTTP redirect so the requesting client can resend the request to npmjs.com.

Administrators can disable this behavior in the Continuous Integration settings.

Group owners can disable this behavior in the group Packages and registries settings.

Improvements are tracked in epic 3608.

Deprecate a package

• Introduced in GitLab 16.0.

You can deprecate a package so that a deprecation warning displays when the package is fetched.

Pre-requisites:

• The same permissions as deleting a package.
• Authenticated to the package registry.

From the command line, run:

npm deprecate @scope/package "Deprecation message"

The CLI also accepts version ranges for @scope/package. For example:

npm deprecate @scope/package "All package versions are deprecated"
npm deprecate @scope/package@1.0.1 "Only version 1.0.1 is deprecated"
npm deprecate @scope/package@"< 1.0.5" "All package versions less than 1.0.5 are deprecated"

Remove deprecation warning

To remove a package's deprecation warning, specify "" (an empty string) for the message. For example:

npm deprecate @scope/package ""

Helpful hints

Install npm packages from other organizations

You can route package requests to organizations and users outside of GitLab.

To do this, add lines to your .npmrc file. Replace @my-other-org with the namespace or group that owns your project's repository, and use your organization's URL. The name is case-sensitive and must match the name of your group or namespace exactly.

@scope:registry=https://my_domain_name.com/api/v4/packages/npm/
@my-other-org:registry=https://my_domain_name.example.com/api/v4/packages/npm/

npm metadata

The GitLab package registry exposes the following attributes to the npm client. These are similar to the abbreviated metadata format:

• name
• versions
  • name
  • version
  • deprecated
  • dependencies
  • devDependencies
  • bundleDependencies
  • peerDependencies
  • bin
  • directories
  • dist
  • engines
  • _hasShrinkwrap
  • hasInstallScript: true if this version has the install scripts.

Add npm distribution tags

You can add distribution tags to newly-published packages. Tags are optional and can be assigned to only one package at a time.

When you publish a package without a tag, the latest tag is added by default. When you install a package without specifying the tag or version, the latest tag is used.

Examples of the supported dist-tag commands:

npm publish @scope/package --tag               # Publish a package with new tag
npm dist-tag add @scope/package@version my-tag # Add a tag to an existing package
npm dist-tag ls @scope/package                 # List all tags under the package
npm dist-tag rm @scope/package@version my-tag  # Delete a tag from the package
npm install @scope/package@my-tag              # Install a specific tag

From CI/CD

• Introduced in GitLab 15.10.

You can use a CI_JOB_TOKEN or deploy token to run npm dist-tag commands in a GitLab CI/CD job. For example:

npm-deploy-job:
  script:
    - echo "//${CI_SERVER_HOST}/api/v4/projects/${CI_PROJECT_ID}/packages/npm/:_authToken=${CI_JOB_TOKEN}">.npmrc
    - npm dist-tag add @scope/package@version my-tag

Due to a bug in npm 6.9.0, deleting distribution tags fails. Make sure your npm version is 6.9.1 or later.

Supported CLI commands

The GitLab npm repository supports the following commands for the npm CLI (npm) and yarn CLI (yarn):

• npm install: Install npm packages.
• npm publish: Publish an npm package to the registry.
• npm dist-tag add: Add a dist-tag to an npm package.
• npm dist-tag ls: List dist-tags for a package.
• npm dist-tag rm: Delete a dist-tag.
• npm ci: Install npm packages directly from your package-lock.json file.
• npm view: Show package metadata.
• npm pack: Create a tarball from a package.
• npm deprecate: Deprecate a version of a package.

Troubleshooting

npm logs don't display correctly

You might encounter an error that says:

npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in: .npm/_logs/<date>-debug-0

If the log doesn't appear in the .npm/_logs/ directory, you can copy the log to your root directory and view it there:

script:
    - npm install --loglevel verbose
    - cp -r /root/.npm/_logs/ .
  artifacts:
      paths:
        - './_logs

The npm log is copied to /root/.npm/_logs/ as an artifact.

404 Not Found errors are happening on npm install or yarn

Using CI_JOB_TOKEN to install npm packages with dependencies in another project gives you 404 Not Found errors. You need to authenticate with a token that has access to the package and all its dependencies.

If the package and its dependencies are in separate projects but in the same group, you can use a group deploy token:

//gitlab.example.com/api/v4/packages/npm/:_authToken=<group-token>
@group-scope:registry=https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/packages/npm/

If the package and its dependencies are spread across multiple groups, you can use a personal access token from a user that has access to all the groups or individual projects:

//gitlab.example.com/api/v4/packages/npm/:_authToken=<personal-access-token>
@group-1:registry=https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/packages/npm/
@group-2:registry=https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/packages/npm/

WARNING: Personal access tokens must be treated carefully. Read our token security considerations for guidance on managing personal access tokens (for example, setting a short expiry and using minimal scopes).

npm publish targets default npm registry (registry.npmjs.org)

Ensure that your package scope is set consistently in your package.json and .npmrc files.

For example, if your project name in GitLab is @scope/my-package, then your package.json file should look like:

{
  "name": "@scope/my-package"
}

And the .npmrc file should look like:

@scope:registry=https://your_domain_name/api/v4/projects/your_project_id/packages/npm/
//your_domain_name/api/v4/projects/your_project_id/packages/npm/:_authToken="${NPM_TOKEN}"

npm install returns npm ERR! 403 Forbidden

If you get this error, ensure that:

• The package registry is enabled in your project settings. Although the package registry is enabled by default, it's possible to disable it.
• Your token is not expired and has appropriate permissions.
• A package with the same name or version doesn't already exist within the given scope.
• The scoped packages URL includes a trailing slash:
  • Correct: //gitlab.example.com/api/v4/packages/npm/
  • Incorrect: //gitlab.example.com/api/v4/packages/npm

npm publish returns npm ERR! 400 Bad Request

If you get this error, one of the following problems could be causing it.

Package name does not meet the naming convention

Your package name may not meet the @scope/package-name package naming convention.

Ensure the name meets the convention exactly, including the case. Then try to publish again.

Package already exists

Your package has already been published to another project in the same root namespace and therefore cannot be published again using the same name.

This is also true even if the prior published package shares the same name, but not the version.

Package JSON file is too large

Make sure that your package.json file does not exceed 20,000 characters.