npm install --omit=dev: install without devDependencies (replaces --production)

npm install --omit=dev (and npm ci --omit=dev) installs only the packages needed at runtime: everything under devDependencies, and packages reachable only through them, is left out of node_modules. It is the modern replacement for --production and --only=prod, which still work but print a deprecation warning. The lockfile is not changed; it still describes the full tree.

With and without the flag

cat > package.json <<'EOF'
{
  "name": "demo",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "dependencies": { "is-number": "7.0.0" },
  "devDependencies": { "is-odd": "3.0.1" }
}
EOF
npm install --no-audit --no-fund >/dev/null 2>&1
echo "--- npm install"
ls node_modules
echo "--- npm ci --omit=dev"
npm ci --omit=dev --no-audit --no-fund >/dev/null 2>&1
ls node_modules
echo "--- the old flag"
npm ci --production --no-audit --no-fund 2>&1 | grep -i "warn"
echo "--- NODE_ENV=production"
NODE_ENV=production npm ci --no-audit --no-fund >/dev/null 2>&1
ls node_modules

--- npm install
is-number
is-odd
--- npm ci --omit=dev
is-number
--- the old flag
npm warn config production Use `--omit=dev` instead.
--- NODE_ENV=production
is-number

npm ci deletes node_modules first, so each run starts clean. With --omit=dev, --production or NODE_ENV=production, only is-number is installed.

Values

If a type is both included and omitted, --include wins. That is how a build stage can override NODE_ENV=production from a base image.

In a Dockerfile

FROM node:24-slim
WORKDIR /app
ENV NODE_ENV=production
COPY package.json package-lock.json ./
RUN npm ci --omit=dev
COPY . .
CMD ["node", "server.js"]

When the image builds the app (TypeScript, Vite, Next.js), use two stages: npm ci --include=dev and the build in the first, npm ci --omit=dev plus the build output in the second. Running npm prune --omit=dev after the build is the one-stage alternative.

Pitfalls

• A package the app requires at runtime but listed under devDependencies works locally and fails in production with Cannot find module. Move it with npm install pkg --save-prod.
• Lifecycle scripts such as prepare or postinstall that call dev tools (husky, tsc) fail when those tools are omitted; guard them or use --ignore-scripts for the production install.
• NODE_ENV=production set globally in CI makes every npm install omit dev dependencies, so tests suddenly cannot find jest or vitest.
• npm ci versus npm install behaviour is compared in npm ci vs npm install.

FAQ