Npm Publish

Npm Publish

Operating Pattern

Use this workflow when preparing, publishing, or verifying an npm package. Treat publishing as a release operation: package versions are immutable, registry state can lag or be filtered by local config, and npm auth errors can look unrelated to the tarball.

1. Confirm package scope and working directory.

• In a monorepo, publish from the repo root with npm publish --workspace ....
• From the package directory, omit --workspace.
• Confirm package.json has the intended name, version, license, bin, files, engines, publishConfig, and dependencies.

1. Confirm the version is new.

• npm versions are immutable. Any republish requires a version bump.
• Check existing versions: npm view versions dist-tags --json.

1. Run release checks before publishing.

• Use the repo's normal quality gates, usually format, tests, and build.
• If a repo-wide build fails for local env state, diagnose before assuming package failure.

1. Pack and smoke-test the exact artifact.

• Create the pack destination first; npm does not create it.
• Install the generated tarball globally or in a temp project and run the package's CLI/help/version smoke tests.

1. Publish with intentional dist-tags.

• Use --tag beta for beta/devnet/prerelease packages.
• Use latest only when the package should be the default install.

1. Verify registry state and installability.

• A successful publish prints + @.
• Verify package document, dist-tags, access, tarball metadata, and install from a clean npm config or a deliberate security-guard override.

Recommended Command Skeleton

For a workspace package from the repository root:

git switch main
git pull

npm run format:check
npm run test --workspace 
npm run build

mkdir -p /private/tmp/npm-release
npm pack --workspace  --pack-destination /private/tmp/npm-release

npm uninstall -g 
npm install -g /private/tmp/npm-release/.tgz
 --version
 --help

npm whoami
npm publish --workspace  --tag beta --access public

For @agentvouch/cli, the publish command is:

npm publish --workspace @agentvouch/cli --tag beta --access public

Dist-Tag Policy

• Publish beta/devnet releases with --tag beta.
• After publish, inspect tags:

npm view  dist-tags versions --json

• If users should install the package by default without a tag, intentionally move latest:

npm dist-tag add @ latest

Do not move latest automatically. Report the current tag state and ask whether the package should become the default install when that is a product decision.

Verification Commands

Use several independent checks:

npm view  dist-tags versions engines bin --json
npm access get status 
npm owner ls 
npm access list collaborators 
mkdir -p /private/tmp/npm-verify
npm pack @ --pack-destination /private/tmp/npm-verify

Then install and smoke-test from the registry in an environment that can see fresh packages:

npm install -g @
 --help

If the user's npm config intentionally sets a before date as a supply-chain safety guard, keep it. Do not tell them to delete it as the default fix. For fresh-release verification, use one of:

• a separate clean environment or user config;
• direct registry reads such as npm view ...;
• an explicit --before= override for the one verification command.

If npm install reports ENOVERSIONS while npm view shows versions, check:

npm config get before

A before date earlier than the publish timestamp hides the new version from install resolution.

Error Triage

ELOOP loading env during repo build

If a pre-publish build fails with a message like:

ELOOP: too many symbolic links encountered, stat '/web/.env.local'

Check whether the env file is a self-referential symlink:

ls -l web/.env.local

Move the broken symlink out of the app directory and recreate .env.local as a real file if needed. Do not treat this as an npm packaging failure.

npm pack --pack-destination returns ENOENT

npm pack --pack-destination does not create ``. Create it first:

mkdir -p /private/tmp/npm-release
npm pack --workspace  --pack-destination /private/tmp/npm-release

E403 requiring 2FA or bypass token

The tarball may be fine; npm is rejecting registry write auth. Refresh auth and retry:

npm logout
npm login --auth-type=web
npm whoami
npm publish --workspace  --tag beta --access public

If npm prompts for an OTP, use a fresh 2FA code immediately:

npm publish --workspace  --tag beta --access public --otp 

Recovery codes can satisfy npm's OTP prompt, but they are one-time backup factors. If a recovery code is used or exposed in logs/chat, treat it as spent and regenerate recovery codes after publishing.

PUT ... 404 Not found during publish

If publish reaches Publishing to https://registry.npmjs.org/ and then fails with PUT ... 404, the tarball built but npm did not accept the registry write. Check:

npm config get registry
npm whoami
npm owner ls 
npm access get status 

For scoped public packages, keep --access public. Re-login with npm login --auth-type=web if the current session or token lacks publish rights.

ENOVERSIONS after publish

If the registry document shows the version but install says no versions are available, suspect a local before security guard:

npm config get before
npm view  time dist-tags versions --json

Compare the package publish time to the configured before date. Preserve the guard unless the user explicitly wants it removed.

Completion Criteria

Report:

• the package name, version, and dist-tags;
• whether latest changed;
• package access status;
• tarball file count/size when available;
• CLI smoke-test output or exact failure;
• any local npm guardrail such as before that affected verification.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: dirtybits
• Source: dirtybits/agent-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.