---
title: npm-publish
section: 1
description: Publish a package
---

### Synopsis

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### Description

Publishes a package to the registry so that it can be installed by name.

By default npm will publish to the public registry. This can be
overridden by specifying a different default registry or using a
[`scope`](/using-npm/scope) in the name, combined with a
scope-configured registry (see
[`package.json`](/configuring-npm/package-json)).


A `package` is interpreted the same way as other commands (like
`npm install` and can be:

* a) a folder containing a program described by a
  [`package.json`](/configuring-npm/package-json) file
* b) a gzipped tarball containing (a)
* c) a url that resolves to (b)
* d) a `<name>@<version>` that is published on the registry (see
  [`registry`](/using-npm/registry)) with (c)
* e) a `<name>@<tag>` (see [`npm dist-tag`](/commands/npm-dist-tag)) that
  points to (d)
* f) a `<name>` that has a "latest" tag satisfying (e)
* g) a `<git remote url>` that resolves to (a)

The publish will fail if the package name and version combination already
exists in the specified registry.

Once a package is published with a given name and version, that specific
name and version combination can never be used again, even if it is removed
with [`npm unpublish`](/commands/npm-unpublish).

As of `npm@5`, both a sha1sum and an integrity field with a sha512sum of the
tarball will be submitted to the registry during publication. Subsequent
installs will use the strongest supported algorithm to verify downloads.

Similar to `--dry-run` see [`npm pack`](/commands/npm-pack), which figures
out the files to be included and packs them into a tarball to be uploaded
to the registry.

### Files included in package

To see what will be included in your package, run `npm pack --dry-run`.  All
files are included by default, with the following exceptions:

- Certain files that are relevant to package installation and distribution
  are always included.  For example, `package.json`, `README.md`,
  `LICENSE`, and so on.

- If there is a "files" list in
  [`package.json`](/configuring-npm/package-json), then only the files
  specified will be included.  (If directories are specified, then they
  will be walked recursively and their contents included, subject to the
  same ignore rules.)

- If there is a `.gitignore` or `.npmignore` file, then ignored files in
  that and all child directories will be excluded from the package.  If
  _both_ files exist, then the `.gitignore` is ignored, and only the
  `.npmignore` is used.

  `.npmignore` files follow the [same pattern
  rules](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Basics-Recording-Changes-to-the-Repository#_ignoring)
  as `.gitignore` files

- If the file matches certain patterns, then it will _never_ be included,
  unless explicitly added to the `"files"` list in `package.json`, or
  un-ignored with a `!` rule in a `.npmignore` or `.gitignore` file.

- Symbolic links are never included in npm packages.


See [`developers`](/using-npm/developers) for full details on what's
included in the published package, as well as details on how the package is
built.

### Configuration

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### See Also

* [package spec](/using-npm/package-spec)
* [npm-packlist package](http://npm.im/npm-packlist)
* [npm registry](/using-npm/registry)
* [npm scope](/using-npm/scope)
* [npm adduser](/commands/npm-adduser)
* [npm owner](/commands/npm-owner)
* [npm deprecate](/commands/npm-deprecate)
* [npm dist-tag](/commands/npm-dist-tag)
* [npm pack](/commands/npm-pack)
* [npm profile](/commands/npm-profile)
