---
title: npm-ci
section: 1
description: Clean install a project
---

### Synopsis

```bash
npm ci

aliases: clean-install, ic, install-clean, isntall-clean
```

### Description

This command is similar to [`npm install`](/commands/npm-install), except it's meant to be used in automated environments such as test platforms, continuous integration, and deployment -- or any situation where you want to make sure you're doing a clean install of your dependencies.

The main differences between using `npm install` and `npm ci` are:

* The project **must** have an existing `package-lock.json` or
  `npm-shrinkwrap.json`.
* If dependencies in the package lock do not match those in `package.json`,
  `npm ci` will exit with an error, instead of updating the package lock.
* `npm ci` can only install entire projects at a time: individual dependencies cannot be added with this command.
* If a `node_modules` is already present, it will be automatically removed before `npm ci` begins its install.
* It will never write to `package.json` or any of the package-locks:
  installs are essentially frozen.

NOTE: If you create your `package-lock.json` file by running `npm install` with flags that can affect the shape of your dependency tree, such as
`--legacy-peer-deps` or `--install-links`, you _must_ provide the same flags to `npm ci` or you are likely to encounter errors.
An easy way to do this is to run, for example,
`npm config set legacy-peer-deps=true --location=project` and commit the
`.npmrc` file to your repo.

### Example

Make sure you have a package-lock and an up-to-date install:

```bash
$ cd ./my/npm/project
$ npm install
added 154 packages in 10s
$ ls | grep package-lock
```

Run `npm ci` in that project

```bash
$ npm ci
added 154 packages in 5s
```

Configure Travis CI to build using `npm ci` instead of `npm install`:

```bash
# .travis.yml
install:
- npm ci
# keep the npm cache around to speed up installs
cache:
  directories:
  - "$HOME/.npm"
```

### Configuration

#### `install-strategy`

* Default: "hoisted"
* Type: "hoisted", "nested", "shallow", or "linked"

Sets the strategy for installing packages in node_modules. hoisted
(default): Install non-duplicated in top-level, and duplicated as necessary
within directory structure. nested: (formerly --legacy-bundling) install in
place, no hoisting. shallow (formerly --global-style) only install direct
deps at top-level. linked: (experimental) install in node_modules/.store,
link in place, unhoisted.



#### `legacy-bundling`

* Default: false
* Type: Boolean
* DEPRECATED: This option has been deprecated in favor of
  `--install-strategy=nested`

Instead of hoisting package installs in `node_modules`, install packages in
the same manner that they are depended on. This may cause very deep
directory structures and duplicate package installs as there is no
de-duplicating. Sets `--install-strategy=nested`.



#### `global-style`

* Default: false
* Type: Boolean
* DEPRECATED: This option has been deprecated in favor of
  `--install-strategy=shallow`

Only install direct dependencies in the top level `node_modules`, but hoist
on deeper dependencies. Sets `--install-strategy=shallow`.



#### `omit`

* Default: 'dev' if the `NODE_ENV` environment variable is set to
  'production'; otherwise, empty.
* Type: "dev", "optional", or "peer" (can be set multiple times)

Dependency types to omit from the installation tree on disk.

Note that these dependencies _are_ still resolved and added to the
`package-lock.json` or `npm-shrinkwrap.json` file. They are just not
physically installed on disk.

If a package type appears in both the `--include` and `--omit` lists, then
it will be included.

If the resulting omit list includes `'dev'`, then the `NODE_ENV` environment
variable will be set to `'production'` for all lifecycle scripts.



#### `include`

* Default:
* Type: "prod", "dev", "optional", or "peer" (can be set multiple times)

Option that allows for defining which types of dependencies to install.

This is the inverse of `--omit=<type>`.

Dependency types specified in `--include` will not be omitted, regardless of
the order in which omit/include are specified on the command-line.



#### `strict-peer-deps`

* Default: false
* Type: Boolean

If set to `true`, and `--legacy-peer-deps` is not set, then _any_
conflicting `peerDependencies` will be treated as an install failure, even
if npm could reasonably guess the appropriate resolution based on non-peer
dependency relationships.

By default, conflicting `peerDependencies` deep in the dependency graph will
be resolved using the nearest non-peer dependency specification, even if
doing so will result in some packages receiving a peer dependency outside
the range set in their package's `peerDependencies` object.

When such an override is performed, a warning is printed, explaining the
conflict and the packages involved. If `--strict-peer-deps` is set, then
this warning is treated as a failure.



#### `foreground-scripts`

* Default: `false` unless when using `npm pack` or `npm publish` where it
  defaults to `true`
* Type: Boolean

Run all build scripts (ie, `preinstall`, `install`, and `postinstall`)
scripts for installed packages in the foreground process, sharing standard
input, output, and error with the main npm process.

Note that this will generally make installs run slower, and be much noisier,
but can be useful for debugging.



#### `ignore-scripts`

* Default: false
* Type: Boolean

If true, npm does not run scripts specified in package.json files.

Note that commands explicitly intended to run a particular script, such as
`npm start`, `npm stop`, `npm restart`, `npm test`, and `npm run` will still
run their intended script if `ignore-scripts` is set, but they will *not*
run any pre- or post-scripts.



#### `allow-directory`

* Default: "all"
* Type: "all", "none", or "root"

Limits the ability for npm to install dependencies from directories. That
is, dependencies that point to a directory instead of a version or semver
range. Please note that this could leave your tree incomplete and some
packages may not function as intended or designed. Changing this setting
will not remove dependencies that are already installed.

`all` allows any directories to be installed. `none` prevents any
directories from being installed. `root` only allows directories defined in
your project's package.json to be installed. Also allows directory
dependencies to be used for other commands like `npm view`



#### `allow-file`

* Default: "all"
* Type: "all", "none", or "root"

Limits the ability for npm to install dependencies from tarball files. That
is, dependencies that point to a local tarball file instead of a version or
semver range. Please note that this could leave your tree incomplete and
some packages may not function as intended or designed. Changing this
setting will not remove dependencies that are already installed.

`all` allows any tarball file to be installed. `none` prevents any tarball
file from being installed. `root` only allows tarball files defined in your
project's package.json to be installed. Also allows tarball file
dependencies to be used for other commands like `npm view`



#### `allow-git`

* Default: "all"
* Type: "all", "none", or "root"

Limits the ability for npm to fetch dependencies from git references. That
is, dependencies that point to a git repo instead of a version or semver
range. Please note that this could leave your tree incomplete and some
packages may not function as intended or designed. Changing this setting
will not remove dependencies that are already installed.

`all` allows any git dependencies to be fetched and installed. `none`
prevents any git dependencies from being fetched and installed. `root` only
allows git dependencies defined in your project's package.json to be fetched
and installed. Also allows git dependencies to be fetched for other commands
like `npm view`



#### `allow-remote`

* Default: "all"
* Type: "all", "none", or "root"

Limits the ability for npm to fetch dependencies from urls. That is,
dependencies that point to a tarball url instead of a version or semver
range. Please note that this could leave your tree incomplete and some
packages may not function as intended or designed. Changing this setting
will not remove dependencies that are already installed.

`all` allows any url to be installed. `none` prevents any url from being
installed. `root` only allows urls defined in your project's package.json to
be installed. Also allows url dependencies to be used for other commands
like `npm view`



#### `allow-scripts`

* Default: ""
* Type: String (can be set multiple times)

Comma-separated list of packages whose install-time lifecycle scripts
(`preinstall`, `install`, `postinstall`, and `prepare` for non-registry
dependencies) are allowed to run.

This setting is intended for one-off and global contexts: `npm exec`, `npx`,
and `npm install -g`, where no project `package.json` is involved. For
team-wide policy in a project, use the `allowScripts` field in
`package.json` (which also supports explicit denials), or configure it in
`.npmrc`. Passing `--allow-scripts` on the command line during a
project-scoped `npm install`, `ci`, `update`, or `rebuild` is an error.

Each name is matched against a dependency's resolved identity, not against
the package's self-reported name. `--ignore-scripts` and
`--dangerously-allow-all-scripts` both override this setting.



#### `strict-allow-scripts`

* Default: false
* Type: Boolean

If `true`, turn the install-script policy from a warning into a hard error:
any dependency with install scripts not covered by `allowScripts` will fail
the install instead of running with a notice.

Dependencies explicitly denied with `false` in `allowScripts` are always
silently skipped; this setting only affects unreviewed entries.
`--ignore-scripts` and `--dangerously-allow-all-scripts` both override this
setting.



#### `dangerously-allow-all-scripts`

* Default: false
* Type: Boolean

If `true`, bypass the `allowScripts` policy entirely and run every
dependency install script regardless of whether it was approved or denied.
Intended as a migration escape hatch only; its use is strongly discouraged.
`--ignore-scripts` still takes precedence over this setting.



#### `audit`

* Default: true
* Type: Boolean

When "true" submit audit reports alongside the current npm command to the
default registry and all registries configured for scopes. See the
documentation for [`npm audit`](/commands/npm-audit) for details on what is
submitted.



#### `bin-links`

* Default: true
* Type: Boolean

Tells npm to create symlinks (or `.cmd` shims on Windows) for package
executables.

Set to false to have it not do this. This can be used to work around the
fact that some file systems don't support symlinks, even on ostensibly Unix
systems.



#### `fund`

* Default: true
* Type: Boolean

When "true" displays the message at the end of each `npm install`
acknowledging the number of dependencies looking for funding. See [`npm
fund`](/commands/npm-fund) for details.



#### `dry-run`

* Default: false
* Type: Boolean

Indicates that you don't want npm to make any changes and that it should
only report what it would have done. This can be passed into any of the
commands that modify your local installation, eg, `install`, `update`,
`dedupe`, `uninstall`, as well as `pack` and `publish`.

Note: This is NOT honored by other network related commands, eg `dist-tags`,
`owner`, etc.



#### `workspace`

* Default:
* Type: String (can be set multiple times)

Enable running a command in the context of the configured workspaces of the
current project while filtering by running only the workspaces defined by
this configuration option.

Valid values for the `workspace` config are either:

* Workspace names
* Path to a workspace directory
* Path to a parent workspace directory (will result in selecting all
  workspaces within that folder)

When set for the `npm init` command, this may be set to the folder of a
workspace which does not yet exist, to create the folder and set it up as a
brand new workspace within the project.

This value is not exported to the environment for child processes.

#### `workspaces`

* Default: null
* Type: null or Boolean

Set to true to run the command in the context of **all** configured
workspaces.

Explicitly setting this to false will cause commands like `install` to
ignore workspaces altogether. When not set explicitly:

- Commands that operate on the `node_modules` tree (install, update, etc.)
will link workspaces into the `node_modules` folder. - Commands that do
other things (test, exec, publish, etc.) will operate on the root project,
_unless_ one or more workspaces are specified in the `workspace` config.

This value is not exported to the environment for child processes.

#### `include-workspace-root`

* Default: false
* Type: Boolean

Include the workspace root when workspaces are enabled for a command.

When false, specifying individual workspaces via the `workspace` config, or
all workspaces via the `workspaces` flag, will cause npm to operate only on
the specified workspaces, and not on the root project.

This value is not exported to the environment for child processes.

#### `install-links`

* Default: false
* Type: Boolean

When set file: protocol dependencies will be packed and installed as regular
dependencies instead of creating a symlink. This option has no effect on
workspaces.



### See Also

* [npm install](/commands/npm-install)
* [package-lock.json](/configuring-npm/package-lock-json)
