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pnpm add <pkg>

Installs a package and any packages that it depends on. By default, any new package is installed as a production dependency.

TL;DR

CommandMeaning
pnpm add saxSave to dependencies
pnpm add -D saxSave to devDependencies
pnpm add -O saxSave to optionalDependencies
pnpm add -g sax Install package globally
pnpm add sax@nextInstall from the next tag
pnpm add sax@3.0.0Specify version 3.0.0

Supported package locations

Install from npm registry

pnpm add package-name will install the latest version of package-name from the npm registry by default.

If executed in a workspace, the command will first try to check whether other projects in the workspace use the specified package. If so, the already used version range will be installed.

You may also install packages by:

  • tag: pnpm add express@nightly
  • version: pnpm add express@1.0.0
  • version range: pnpm add express@2 react@">=0.1.0 <0.2.0"

Install from the workspace

Note that when adding dependencies and working within a workspace, packages will be installed from the configured sources, depending on whether or not link-workspace-packages is set, and use of the workspace: range protocol.

Install from local file system

There are two ways to install from the local file system:

  1. from a tarball file (.tar, .tar.gz, or .tgz)
  2. from a directory

Examples:

pnpm add ./package.tar.gz
pnpm add ./some-directory

When you install from a directory, a symlink will be created in the current project's node_modules, so it is the same as running pnpm link.

Install from remote tarball

The argument must be a fetchable URL starting with "http://" or "https://".

Example:

pnpm add https://github.com/indexzero/forever/tarball/v0.5.6

Install from Git repository

pnpm add <git remote url>

Installs the package from the hosted Git provider, cloning it with Git.

You may install packages from Git by:

  • Latest commit from default branch:
pnpm add kevva/is-positive
  • Git commit hash:
pnpm add kevva/is-positive#97edff6f525f192a3f83cea1944765f769ae2678
  • Git branch:
pnpm add kevva/is-positive#master
  • Git branch relative to refs:
pnpm add zkochan/is-negative#heads/canary
  • Git tag:
pnpm add zkochan/is-negative#2.0.1
  • V-prefixed Git tag:
pnpm add andreineculau/npm-publish-git#v0.0.7

Install from a Git repository using semver

You can specify version (range) to install using the semver: parameter. For example:

  • Strict semver:
pnpm add zkochan/is-negative#semver:1.0.0
  • V-prefixed strict semver:
pnpm add andreineculau/npm-publish-git#semver:v0.0.7
  • Semver version range:
pnpm add kevva/is-positive#semver:^2.0.0
  • V-prefixed semver version range:
pnpm add andreineculau/npm-publish-git#semver:<=v0.0.7

Install from a subdirectory of a Git repository

You may also install just a subdirectory from a Git-hosted monorepo using the path: parameter. For instance:

pnpm add RexSkz/test-git-subdir-fetch#path:/packages/simple-react-app

Install from a Git repository via a full URL

If you want to be more explicit or are using alternative Git hosting, you might want to spell out full Git URL:

# git+ssh
pnpm add git+ssh://git@github.com:zkochan/is-negative.git#2.0.1

# https
pnpm add https://github.com/zkochan/is-negative.git#2.0.1

Install from a Git repository using hosting providers shorthand

You can use a protocol shorthand [provier]: for certain Git providers:

pnpm add github:zkochan/is-negative
pnpm add bitbucket:pnpmjs/git-resolver
pnpm add gitlab:pnpm/git-resolver

If [provider]: is omited, it defaults to github:.

Install from a Git repository combining different parameters

It is possible to combine multiple parameters by separating them with &. This can be useful for forks of monorepos:

pnpm add RexSkz/test-git-subdir-fetch.git#beta&path:/packages/simple-react-app

Installs from the beta branch and only the subdirectory at /packages/simple-react-app.

Options

--save-prod, -P

Install the specified packages as regular dependencies.

--save-dev, -D

Install the specified packages as devDependencies.

--save-optional, -O

Install the specified packages as optionalDependencies.

--save-exact, -E

Saved dependencies will be configured with an exact version rather than using pnpm's default semver range operator.

--save-peer

Using --save-peer will add one or more packages to peerDependencies and install them as dev dependencies.

--ignore-workspace-root-check

Adding a new dependency to the root workspace package fails, unless the --ignore-workspace-root-check or -w flag is used.

For instance, pnpm add debug -w.

--global, -g

Install a package globally.

--workspace

Only adds the new dependency if it is found in the workspace.

--filter <package_selector>

Read more about filtering.