Skip to main content
Version: 9.x

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
  • Version range:
pnpm add kevva/is-positive#semver:^2.0.0

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

Subdirectory​

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

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

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

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:.

Parameters combination​

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

# Install git branch `beta`
# Install only subfolder `/packages/simple-react-app`
pnpm add RexSkz/test-git-subfolder-fetch.git#beta&path:/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.