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How to Publish a Package

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BkotrAFtBM0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

You can publish any directory that has a package.json file, for example, a node module. (To understand the difference between node modules and other types of packages, click [here] (https://docs.npmjs.com/getting-started/packages).

Preparation

Create a User Account

To publish, you must be a user on the npm registry. If you aren't a user, create an account by using npm adduser. If you created a user account on the site, use npm login to access your account from your terminal.

Test:

  1. Type npm whoami from a terminal to see if you are already logged in (technically, this also means that your credentials have been stored locally).

  2. Check that your username has been added to the registry at https://npmjs.com/~username.

For example,

https://www.npmjs.com/~carolynawombat

Review the Package Directory

Review the Contents

Note that everything in the directory will be included unless it is ignored by a local .gitignore or .npmignore file. To learn how to use these commands, see npm-developers.

Review the package.json File

Read Working with package.json to be sure that the details you want are reflected in your package.

Choose a name

Choose a unique name for your package. Try to choose a descriptive name that:

  • isn't already owned by somebody else
  • is not spelled like another name, except with typos
  • will not confuse others about the authorship
  • meets npm policy guidelines. For example, do not name your package something offensive, and don't use someone else's trademarked name.

Note: The first 3 caveats don't apply if you are using scopes.

Publish!

Use npm publish to publish the package.

Test

Go to https://npmjs.com/package/<package>. You should see the information for your new package.

Congratulations on Publishing!

Now that you've published your first package (congratulations!) it's a great time to review npm's code of conduct in case you have questions about site etiquette or other npm policies.

Updating Your Package

How To Update the Version Number

When you make changes, you can update the package using

npm version <update_type>

where <update_type> is one of the semantic versioning release types, patch, minor, or major.

This command will change the version number in package.json.

Note: this will also add a tag with the updated release number to your git repository if you have linked one to your npm account.

After updating the version number, run npm publish again.

Test: Go to https://npmjs.com/package/<package>. The package number should be updated.

How to Update the Read Me File

The README displayed on the site will not be updated unless a new version of your package is published, so you need to run npm version patch and npm publish to update the documentation displayed on the site.

##Learn More

To find out more about node modules and packages, see here.

To learn about semantic versioning, click here.

To learn more about tags, click here.

To learn more about package.json files, click here.

To learn more about naming, including how npm protects you against typosquat confusion, click here