Synopsis

npm uninstall[<@scope>/]<pkg>...
aliases: unlink, remove, rm, r, un

Description

This uninstalls a package, completely removing everything npm installed on its behalf.

It also removes the package from thedependencies,devDependencies,optionalDependencies, andpeerDependencies objects in yourpackage.json.

Further, if you have annpm-shrinkwrap.json orpackage-lock.json, npm will update those files as well.

--no-save will tell npm not to remove the package from yourpackage.json,npm-shrinkwrap.json, orpackage-lock.json files.

--save or-S will tell npm to remove the package from yourpackage.json,npm-shrinkwrap.json, andpackage-lock.json files. This is the default, but you may need to use this if you have for instancesave=false in yournpmrc file

In global mode (ie, with-g or--global appended to the command), it uninstalls the current package context as a global package.--no-save is ignored in this case.

Scope is optional and follows the usual rules forscope.

Examples

npm uninstall sax

sax will no longer be in yourpackage.json,npm-shrinkwrap.json, orpackage-lock.json files.

npm uninstall lodash --no-save

lodash will not be removed from yourpackage.json,npm-shrinkwrap.json, orpackage-lock.json files.

Configuration

save

• Default:true unless when usingnpm update where it defaults tofalse
• Type: Boolean

Save installed packages to apackage.json file as dependencies.

When used with thenpm rm command, removes the dependency frompackage.json.

Will also prevent writing topackage-lock.json if set tofalse.

global

• Default: false
• Type: Boolean

Operates in "global" mode, so that packages are installed into theprefix folder instead of the current working directory. Seefolders for more on the differences in behavior.

• packages are installed into the{prefix}/lib/node_modules folder, instead of the current working directory.
• bin files are linked to{prefix}/bin
• man pages are linked to{prefix}/share/man

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 theworkspace 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 thenpm 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 ofall configured workspaces.

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

• Commands that operate on thenode_modules tree (install, update, etc.) will link workspaces into thenode_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 theworkspace 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 theworkspace config, or all workspaces via theworkspaces 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 prune
• npm install
• npm folders
• npm config
• npmrc

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2 contributorsjsoreflukekarrys

Last edited byjsoref onOctober 5, 2025

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