Npm List

Summary: in this tutorial, you will learn how to use the npm list command to list packages installed on your system.

Setting up a sample project

Let’s start by creating a sample project and installing some packages.

First, create a new directory called npm-demo and run the npm init command:

mkdir npm-demo
cd npm-demo
npm init --yesCode language: Shell Session (shell)

Second, install the express and mongoose packages by running the following commands:

npm install express mongooseCode language: Shell Session (shell)

Third, install the morgan package as a development dependency by using the npm install with the --save-dev flag:

npm install morgan --save-devCode language: Shell Session (shell)

Introduction to npm list command

The npm list command outputs installed packages of the current project as a tree structure to the stdout:

npm list Code language: Shell Session (shell)

Output:

+-- express@4.21.1
+-- mongoose@8.8.0
`-- morgan@1.10.0Code language: CSS (css)

The npm ls is the shorter version of the npm list command:

npm lsCode language: Shell Session (shell)

If you use the npm la or npm ll command, the output will also include extended information.

Listing packages as a tree with a specified depth

To limit the depth of the dependency tree, you use the npm list with the --depth flag. For example, the following command lists all installed packages and their dependencies using depth 1:

npm list --depth=1Code language: Shell Session (shell)

Output:

+-- express@4.21.1
| +-- accepts@1.3.8
| +-- array-flatten@1.1.1
| +-- body-parser@1.20.3
...Code language: CSS (css)

Listing packages in dependencies

To display only the dependency tree for packages in dependencies, you use the --omit=dev flag like this:

npm list --omit=devCode language: Shell Session (shell)

Output:

+-- express@4.21.1
`-- mongoose@8.8.0Code language: CSS (css)

You can combine the --omit=dev and --depth flags like this:

npm list --omit=dev --depth=1Code language: Shell Session (shell)

Output:

+-- express@4.21.1
| +-- accepts@1.3.8
| +-- array-flatten@1.1.1
| +-- body-parser@1.20.3
...
`-- mongoose@8.8.0
  +-- bson@6.9.0
  +-- kareem@2.6.3
...Code language: CSS (css)

Listing packages in the global packages

To list the global packages, you use the npm list command with the --global flag:

npm list --globalCode language: Shell Session (shell)

Formatting installed packages in JSON format

To format the output of the installed packages in JSON format, you use the npm list command with the --json flag:

npm list --jsonCode language: Shell Session (shell)

Output:

{
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "name": "npm-demo",
  "dependencies": {
    "express": {
      "version": "4.21.1",
      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/express/-/express-4.21.1.tgz",
      "overridden": false
    },
    "mongoose": {
      "version": "8.8.0",
      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/mongoose/-/mongoose-8.8.0.tgz",
      "overridden": false
    },
    "morgan": {
      "version": "1.10.0",
      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/morgan/-/morgan-1.10.0.tgz",
      "overridden": false
    }
  }
}Code language: JSON / JSON with Comments (json)

Summary

• Use npm list command to show the installed packages in the current project as a dependency tree.
• Use npm list --depth=n command to show the dependency tree with a specified depth.
• Use npm list --omit=dev command to show packages in the dependencies.
• Use npm list --global command to list the global packages.
• Use npm list --json command to format the installed packages in the JSON format