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---
section: cli-commands 
title: npm-outdated
description: Check for outdated packages
---

# npm-outdated(1)

## Check for outdated packages

### Synopsis

```bash
npm outdated [[<@scope>/]<pkg> ...]
```

### Description

This command will check the registry to see if any (or, specific) installed
packages are currently outdated.

In the output:

* `wanted` is the maximum version of the package that satisfies the semver
  range specified in `package.json`. If there's no available semver range (i.e.
  you're running `npm outdated --global`, or the package isn't included in
  `package.json`), then `wanted` shows the currently-installed version.
* `latest` is the version of the package tagged as latest in the registry.
  Running `npm publish` with no special configuration will publish the package
  with a dist-tag of `latest`. This may or may not be the maximum version of
  the package, or the most-recently published version of the package, depending
  on how the package's developer manages the latest [dist-tag](npm-dist-tag).
* `location` is where in the dependency tree the package is located. Note that
  `npm outdated` defaults to a depth of 0, so unless you override that, you'll
  always be seeing only top-level dependencies that are outdated.
* `package type` (when using `--long` / `-l`) tells you whether this package is
  a `dependency` or a `devDependency`. Packages not included in `package.json`
  are always marked `dependencies`.
* `homepage` (when using `--long` / `-l`) is the `homepage` value contained in the package's `package.json`
* Red means there's a newer version matching your semver requirements, so you should update now.
* Yellow indicates that there's a newer version above your semver requirements (usually new major, or new 0.x minor) so proceed with caution.

### An example

```bash
$ npm outdated
Package      Current   Wanted   Latest  Location
glob          5.0.15   5.0.15    6.0.1  test-outdated-output
nothingness    0.0.3      git      git  test-outdated-output
npm            3.5.1    3.5.2    3.5.1  test-outdated-output
local-dev      0.0.3   linked   linked  test-outdated-output
once           1.3.2    1.3.3    1.3.3  test-outdated-output
```

With these `dependencies`:
```json
{
  "glob": "^5.0.15",
  "nothingness": "github:othiym23/nothingness#master",
  "npm": "^3.5.1",
  "once": "^1.3.1"
}
```

A few things to note:

* `glob` requires `^5`, which prevents npm from installing `glob@6`, which is
  outside the semver range.
* Git dependencies will always be reinstalled, because of how they're specified.
  The installed committish might satisfy the dependency specifier (if it's
  something immutable, like a commit SHA), or it might not, so `npm outdated` and
  `npm update` have to fetch Git repos to check. This is why currently doing a
  reinstall of a Git dependency always forces a new clone and install.
* `npm@3.5.2` is marked as "wanted", but "latest" is `npm@3.5.1` because npm
  uses dist-tags to manage its `latest` and `next` release channels. `npm update`
  will install the _newest_ version, but `npm install npm` (with no semver range)
  will install whatever's tagged as `latest`.
* `once` is just plain out of date. Reinstalling `node_modules` from scratch or
  running `npm update` will bring it up to spec.

### Configuration

#### json

* Default: false
* Type: Boolean

Show information in JSON format.

#### long

* Default: false
* Type: Boolean

Show extended information.

#### parseable

* Default: false
* Type: Boolean

Show parseable output instead of tree view.

#### global

* Default: false
* Type: Boolean

Check packages in the global install prefix instead of in the current
project.

#### depth

* Default: 0
* Type: Int

Max depth for checking dependency tree.

### See Also

* [npm update](/cli-commands/npm-update)
* [npm dist-tag](/cli-commands/npm-dist-tag)
* [npm registry](/using-npm/registry)
* [npm folders](/configuring-npm/folders)