---
title: npm-outdated
section: 1
description: Check for outdated packages
---
### Synopsis
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### Description
This command will check the registry to see if any (or, specific) installed
packages are currently outdated.
By default, only the direct dependencies of the root project and direct
dependencies of your configured *workspaces* are shown.
Use `--all` to find all outdated meta-dependencies as well.
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(i.e. you're running `npm outdated --global`, or the package isn't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](/commands/npm-dist-tag).
* `location` is where in the physical tree the package is located.
* `depended by` shows which package depends on the displayed dependency
* `package type` (when using `--long` / `-l`) tells you whether this
package is a `dependency` or a dev/peer/optional dependency. Packages not
included in `package.json` are always marked `dependencies`.
* `homepage` (when using `--long` / `-l`) is the `homepage` value contained
in the package's packument
* 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$ npm outdated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 Depended by
glob 5.0.15 5.0.15 6.0.1 node_modules/glob dependent-package-name
nothingness 0.0.3 git git node_modules/nothingness dependent-package-name
npm 3.5.1 3.5.2 3.5.1 node_modules/npm dependent-package-name
local-dev 0.0.3 linked linked local-dev dependent-package-name
once 1.3.2 1.3.3 1.3.3 node_modules/once dependent-package-name
```
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
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### See Also
* [package spec](/using-npm/package-spec)
* [npm update](/commands/npm-update)
* [npm dist-tag](/commands/npm-dist-tag)
* [npm registry](/using-npm/registry)
* [npm folders](/configuring-npm/folders)
* [npm workspaces](/using-npm/workspaces)
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