Current File : //opt/alt/alt-nodejs12/root/usr/lib/node_modules/npm/docs/content/cli-commands/npm-update.md
---
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 `npm@2.6.1`, 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 `npm@5.0.0`, 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 `npm@2.6.1` 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 `dep1@1.2.2`, 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 `dep1@1.1.2`. 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 `dep1@0.2.0`, 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 `dep1@0.4.1`, 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)
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