---
last_modified: 2026-07-02
title: "deno install"
oldUrl:
  - /runtime/manual/tools/script_installer/
  - /runtime/reference/cli/script_installer/
  - /runtime/manual/tools/script_installer/
  - /runtime/manual/tools/cache/
  - /runtime/reference/cli/cache/
command: install
openGraphLayout: "/open_graph/cli-commands.jsx"
openGraphTitle: "deno install"
description: "Install and cache dependencies for your project"
---

`deno install` installs dependencies and caches them for your project. For more
on how Deno handles modules, see
[Modules and dependencies](/runtime/fundamentals/modules/).

## Examples

### deno install

Use this command to install all dependencies defined in
[`deno.json`](/runtime/fundamentals/configuration/) and/or `package.json`.

The dependencies will be installed in the global cache, but if your project has
a `package.json` file, a local `node_modules` directory will be set up as well.

### deno install [PACKAGES]

Use this command to install particular packages and add them to `deno.json` or
`package.json`.

```sh
deno install jsr:@std/testing npm:express
```

:::info Deno 2.8

Unprefixed package names are treated as npm packages by default, so the `npm:`
prefix is no longer required at the CLI. `deno install express` is equivalent to
`deno install npm:express`. JSR packages still need the `jsr:` prefix to stay
unambiguous. The `npm:` prefix remains required in `import` specifiers.

:::

:::tip

You can also use `deno add` which is an alias to `deno install [PACKAGES]`

:::

If your project has a `package.json` file, the packages coming from npm will be
added to `dependencies` in `package.json`. Otherwise all packages will be added
to `deno.json`.

### deno install --os and --arch

Starting in Deno 2.8, `deno install` accepts `--os` and `--arch` flags so you
can install npm packages targeting a different platform than the one you're
running on. This is most useful for pre-installing packages with native binaries
— for example, building a deployment artifact on a macOS dev machine that will
eventually run on Linux/arm64.

The flags accept Node.js-compatible values, the same strings that
`process.platform` and `process.arch` produce.

```sh
# Install npm packages for linux/arm64
deno install --os linux --arch arm64

# Install for windows/x64
deno install --os win32 --arch x64

# Override just the architecture; --os defaults to the current system
deno install --arch x64
```

`--os` and `--arch` are local-install-only and conflict with `--global`.

### deno install --package-json

By default, Deno picks the configuration file to write to (`deno.json` or
`package.json`) based on which one is closest to the current working directory.
Starting in Deno 2.8, `--package-json` forces dependencies to be written to
`package.json`, regardless of any nearby `deno.json`. If no `package.json`
exists yet, one is created.

```sh
deno install --package-json npm:express jsr:@std/path
```

JSR packages added with `--package-json` are written in their npm-compatible
form (`npm:@jsr/...`). The same flag works on `deno add`, `deno remove`, and
`deno uninstall`.

To make this behavior the default without passing the flag every time, set
[`"preferPackageJson": true`](/runtime/reference/deno_json/#prefer-package-json-for-dependencies)
in `deno.json`.

### deno install --entrypoint [FILES]

Use this command to install all dependencies that are used in the provided files
and their dependencies.

This is particularly useful if you use `jsr:`, `npm:`, `http:` or `https:`
specifiers in your code and want to cache all the dependencies before deploying
your project.

```js title="main.js"
import * as colors from "jsr:@std/fmt/colors";
import express from "npm:express";
```

```sh
deno install -e main.js
Download jsr:@std/fmt
Download npm:express
```

:::tip

If you want to set up a local `node_modules` directory, you can pass the
`--node-modules-dir=auto` flag.

Some dependencies might not work correctly without a local `node_modules`
directory.

:::

### deno install --global [PACKAGE_OR_URL]

Use this command to install the provided package or script as a globally
available binary on your system.

This command creates a thin, executable shell script which invokes `deno` using
the specified CLI flags and main module. It is placed in the installation root.

Example:

```sh
deno install --global --allow-net --allow-read jsr:@std/http/file-server
Download jsr:@std/http/file-server...

✅ Successfully installed file-server.
/Users/deno/.deno/bin/file-server
```

To change the executable name, use `-n`/`--name`:

```sh
deno install -g -N -R -n serve jsr:@std/http/file-server
```

The executable name is inferred by default:

- Attempt to take the file stem of the URL path. The above example would become
  'file-server'.
- If the file stem is something generic like 'main', 'mod', 'index' or 'cli',
  and the path has no parent, take the file name of the parent path. Otherwise
  settle with the generic name.
- If the resulting name has an '@...' suffix, strip it.

To change the installation root, use `--root`:

```sh
deno install -g -N -R --root /usr/local/bin jsr:@std/http/file-server
```

The installation root is determined, in order of precedence:

- `--root` option
- `DENO_INSTALL_ROOT` environment variable
- `$HOME/.deno`

Executables are placed in the `bin` subdirectory of the installation root,
unless the root path already ends with `bin`, in which case it is used directly.
The resulting directory must be added to the path manually if required.

```sh
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.deno/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
```

You must specify permissions that will be used to run the script at installation
time.

```sh
deno install -g -N -R jsr:@std/http/file-server -- -p 8080
```

The above command creates an executable called `file_server` that runs with
network and read permissions and binds to port 8080.

For good practice, use the
[`import.meta.main`](/runtime/tutorials/module_metadata/) idiom to specify the
entry point in an executable script.

Example:

```ts
// https://example.com/awesome/cli.ts
async function myAwesomeCli(): Promise<void> {
  // -- snip --
}

if (import.meta.main) {
  myAwesomeCli();
}
```

When you create an executable script make sure to let users know by adding an
example installation command to your repository:

```sh
# Install using deno install

deno install -n awesome_cli https://example.com/awesome/cli.ts
```

### deno install --global --compile [PACKAGE_OR_URL]

Use this command to compile a package or script into a standalone,
self-contained binary. The resulting executable can be distributed and run
without requiring Deno to be installed on the target system.

```sh
deno install --global --compile -A npm:@anthropic-ai/claude-code
```

This combines the behavior of [`deno compile`](/runtime/reference/cli/compile/)
with global installation — producing a native binary placed in the installation
root (same as `--global` without `--compile`).

### deno install --prod

Use this command to install only production dependencies, skipping
`devDependencies` from `package.json`.

```sh
deno install --prod
```

This is useful when deploying an application where development dependencies like
test frameworks or build tools are not needed.

The `--prod` flag conflicts with `--global` and `--dev`.

In CI environments, prefer [`deno ci --prod`](/runtime/reference/cli/ci/), which
also enforces a frozen lockfile and removes any pre-existing `node_modules`
before installing.

#### --skip-types

When combined with `--prod`, the `--skip-types` flag additionally skips
`@types/*` packages from both `package.json` dependencies and `deno.json`
imports:

```sh
deno install --prod --skip-types
```

:::caution

The `--skip-types` flag identifies type packages by checking if the package name
starts with `@types/`. This heuristic may not cover all type-only packages.

:::

#### --prod with --entrypoint

When `--prod` is combined with `--entrypoint`, the module graph is built as
"code only", which excludes type-only dependencies:

```sh
deno install --prod --entrypoint main.ts
```

This provides the most precise production install — only dependencies that are
actually imported at runtime by the specified entrypoint (and its transitive
imports) will be installed.

## Native Node.js addons

A lot of popular npm packages like
[`npm:sqlite3`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/sqlite3) or
[`npm:duckdb`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/duckdb) depend on
["lifecycle scripts"](https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v10/using-npm/scripts#life-cycle-scripts),
eg. `preinstall` or `postinstall` scripts. Most often running these scripts is
required for a package to work correctly.

Unlike npm, Deno does not run these scripts by default as they pose a potential
security vulnerability.

You can still run these scripts by passing the `--allow-scripts=<packages>` flag
when running `deno install`:

```sh
deno install --allow-scripts=npm:sqlite3
```

_Install all dependencies and allow `npm:sqlite3` package to run its lifecycle
scripts_.

## --quiet flag

The `--quiet` flag suppresses diagnostic output when installing dependencies.
When used with `deno install`, it will hide progress indicators, download
information, and success messages.

```sh
deno install --quiet jsr:@std/http/file-server
```

This is useful for scripting environments or when you want cleaner output in CI
pipelines.

## Uninstall

You can uninstall dependencies or binary script with `deno uninstall` command:

```sh
deno uninstall express
Removed express
```

```sh
deno uninstall -g file-server
deleted /Users/deno/.deno/bin/file-server
✅ Successfully uninstalled file-server
```

See [`deno uninstall` page for more details](/runtime/reference/cli/uninstall/).