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---
section: cli-commands 
title: npm-update
description: Update a package
---

# npm-update(1)

## Update a package

### Synopsis

```bash
npm update [-g] [<pkg>...]

aliases: up, upgrade
```

### Description

This command will update all the packages listed to the latest version
(specified by the `tag` config), respecting semver.

It will also install missing packages. As with all commands that install
packages, the `--dev` flag will cause `devDependencies` to be processed
as well.

If the `-g` flag is specified, this command will update globally installed
packages.

If no package name is specified, all packages in the specified location (global
or local) will be updated.

As of `[email protected]`, the `npm update` will only inspect top-level packages.
Prior versions of `npm` would also recursively inspect all dependencies.
To get the old behavior, use `npm --depth 9999 update`.

As of `[email protected]`, the `npm update` will change `package.json` to save the 
new version as the minimum required dependency. To get the old behavior, 
use `npm update --no-save`.

### Example

IMPORTANT VERSION NOTE: these examples assume `[email protected]` or later.  For
older versions of `npm`, you must specify `--depth 0` to get the behavior
described below.

For the examples below, assume that the current package is `app` and it depends
on dependencies, `dep1` (`dep2`, .. etc.).  The published versions of `dep1` are:

```json
{
  "dist-tags": { "latest": "1.2.2" },
  "versions": [
    "1.2.2",
    "1.2.1",
    "1.2.0",
    "1.1.2",
    "1.1.1",
    "1.0.0",
    "0.4.1",
    "0.4.0",
    "0.2.0"
  ]
}
```

#### Caret Dependencies

If `app`'s `package.json` contains:

```json
"dependencies": {
  "dep1": "^1.1.1"
}
```

Then `npm update` will install `[email protected]`, because `1.2.2` is `latest` and
`1.2.2` satisfies `^1.1.1`.

#### Tilde Dependencies

However, if `app`'s `package.json` contains:

```json
"dependencies": {
  "dep1": "~1.1.1"
}
```

In this case, running `npm update` will install `[email protected]`.  Even though the `latest`
tag points to `1.2.2`, this version does not satisfy `~1.1.1`, which is equivalent
to `>=1.1.1 <1.2.0`.  So the highest-sorting version that satisfies `~1.1.1` is used,
which is `1.1.2`.

#### Caret Dependencies below 1.0.0

Suppose `app` has a caret dependency on a version below `1.0.0`, for example:

```json
"dependencies": {
  "dep1": "^0.2.0"
}
```

`npm update` will install `[email protected]`, because there are no other
versions which satisfy `^0.2.0`.

If the dependence were on `^0.4.0`:

```json
"dependencies": {
  "dep1": "^0.4.0"
}
```

Then `npm update` will install `[email protected]`, because that is the highest-sorting
version that satisfies `^0.4.0` (`>= 0.4.0 <0.5.0`)


#### Updating Globally-Installed Packages

`npm update -g` will apply the `update` action to each globally installed
package that is `outdated` -- that is, has a version that is different from
`wanted`.

Note: Globally installed packages are treated as if they are installed with a caret semver range specified. So if you require to update to `latest` you may need to run `npm install -g [<pkg>...]`

NOTE: If a package has been upgraded to a version newer than `latest`, it will
be _downgraded_.


### See Also

* [npm install](/cli-commands/npm-install)
* [npm outdated](/cli-commands/npm-outdated)
* [npm shrinkwrap](/cli-commands/npm-shrinkwrap)
* [npm registry](/using-npm/registry)
* [npm folders](/configuring-npm/folders)
* [npm ls](/cli-commands/npm-ls)