SPEC(7) SPEC(7)

# [NAME](#NAME)

**spec** - Package name specifier

## [Description](#Description)

Commands like **npm install** and the dependency sections in the **package.json** use a package name specifier. This can be many different things that all refer to a "package". Examples include a package name, git url, tarball, or local directory. These will generally be referred to as **<package-spec>** in the help output for the npm commands that use this package name specifier.

## [Package name](#Package_name)

- **\[<@scope>/]<pkg>**
- **\[<@scope>/]<pkg>@<tag>**
- **\[<@scope>/]<pkg>@<version>**
- **\[<@scope>/]<pkg>@<version range>**

Refers to a package by name, with or without a scope, and optionally tag, version, or version range. This is typically used in combination with the **registry** *⟨/using-npm/config#registry⟩* config to refer to a package in a registry.

Examples:

- **npm**
- **@npmcli/arborist**
- **@npmcli/arborist@latest**
- **npm@6.13.1**
- **npm@^4.0.0**

## [Aliases](#Aliases)

•

**<alias>@npm:<name>**

Primarily used by commands like **npm install** and in the dependency sections in the **package.json**, this refers to a package by an alias. The **<alias>** is the name of the package as it is reified in the **node\_modules** folder, and the **<name>** refers to a package name as found in the configured registry.

See **Package name** above for more info on referring to a package by name, and **registry** *⟨/using-npm/config#registry⟩* for configuring which registry is used when referring to a package by name.

Examples:

- **semver@npm:@npmcli/semver-with-patch**
- **semver@npm:semver@7.2.2**
- **semver@npm:semver@legacy**

## [Folders](#Folders)

•

**<folder>**

This refers to a package on the local filesystem. Specifically this is a folder with a **package.json** file in it. This *should* always be prefixed with a **/** or **./** (or your OS equivalent) to reduce confusion. npm currently will parse a string with more than one **/** in it as a folder, but this is legacy behavior that may be removed in a future version.

Examples:

- **./my-package**
- **/opt/npm/my-package**

## [Tarballs](#Tarballs)

- **<tarball file>**
- **<tarball url>**

Examples:

- **./my-package.tgz**
- **https://registry.npmjs.org/semver/-/semver-1.0.0.tgz**

Refers to a package in a tarball format, either on the local filesystem or remotely via url. This is the format that packages exist in when uploaded to a registry.

## [git urls](#git_urls)

- **<git:// url>**
- **<github username>/<github project>**

Refers to a package in a git repo. This can be a full git url, git shorthand, or a username/package on GitHub. You can specify a git tag, branch, or other git ref by appending **#ref**.

Examples:

- **https://github.com/npm/cli.git**
- **git@github.com:npm/cli.git**
- **git+ssh://git@github.com/npm/cli#v6.0.0**
- **github:npm/cli#HEAD**
- **npm/cli#c12ea07**

## [See also](#See_also)

- **npm-package-arg** *⟨https://npm.im/npm-package-arg⟩*
- npm help scope
- npm help config

July 2026 NPM@12.0.2

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Document: npm-package-spec(7) from npm 12.0.2-r0 (Chainguard OS)