pnpm
Node.js package manager with strict dependency resolution. Use when running pnpm specific commands, configuring workspaces, or managing dependencies with catalogs, patches, or overrides.
Install
Use with your agent
Install the pnpm skill, then use it as build context. Run: npx skills add https://github.com/antfu/skills --skill pnpm. Then read the installed skill.md and follow its guidance to build or refactor my project.
pnpm is a fast, disk space efficient package manager. It uses a content-addressable store to deduplicate packages across all projects on a machine, saving significant disk space. pnpm enforces strict dependency resolution by default, preventing phantom dependencies. Configuration should preferably be placed in pnpm-workspace.yaml for pnpm-specific settings.
Important: When working with pnpm projects, agents should check for pnpm-workspace.yaml and .npmrc files to understand workspace structure and configuration. Always use --frozen-lockfile in CI environments.
The skill is based on pnpm 10.x, generated at 2026-01-28.
Core
| Topic | Description | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| CLI Commands | Install, add, remove, update, run, exec, dlx, and workspace commands | core-cli |
| Configuration | pnpm-workspace.yaml, .npmrc settings, and package.json fields | core-config |
| Workspaces | Monorepo support with filtering, workspace protocol, and shared lockfile | core-workspaces |
| Store | Content-addressable storage, hard links, and disk efficiency | core-store |
Features
| Topic | Description | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Catalogs | Centralized dependency version management for workspaces | features-catalogs |
| Overrides | Force specific versions of dependencies including transitive | features-overrides |
| Patches | Modify third-party packages with custom fixes | features-patches |
| Aliases | Install packages under custom names using npm: protocol | features-aliases |
| Hooks | Customize resolution with .pnpmfile.cjs hooks | features-hooks |
| Peer Dependencies | Auto-install, strict mode, and dependency rules | features-peer-deps |
Best Practices
| Topic | Description | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| CI/CD Setup | GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Docker, and caching strategies | best-practices-ci |
| Migration | Migrating from npm/Yarn, handling phantom deps, monorepo migration | best-practices-migration |
| Performance | Install optimizations, store caching, workspace parallelization | best-practices-performance |