npm WARN package.json: No repository field

868
votes

I installed Express.js with the following command:

sudo npm install -g express

I get the following warnings:

npm WARN package.json [email protected] No repository field.
npm WARN package.json [email protected] No repository field.
npm WARN package.json [email protected] No repository field.
npm WARN package.json [email protected] No readme data.
npm WARN package.json [email protected] No repository field.
npm WARN package.json [email protected] No repository field.
npm WARN package.json [email protected] No repository field.
npm WARN package.json [email protected] No repository field.
npm WARN package.json [email protected] No repository field.
npm WARN package.json [email protected] No repository field.
npm WARN package.json [email protected] No repository field.

I'm new to Node.js and Express.js. Why do I have the above warnings? Should I be worried?

11
node.jsexpressnpm
By seeing this question one year later, I realize that I mentally erase all these warnings every time I install npm packages. This is something package developers should maybe be a bit more careful about. – nha
@nha yeah, I usually see those warnings when doing some npm operation and fix them if it's in the package I'm developing. – gustavohenke
for private repos, just add "private": true to package.json – chovy

11 Answers

1357
votes

It's just a check as of NPM v1.2.20, they report this as a warning.

However, don't worry, there are sooooooo many packages which still don't have the repository field in their package.json. The field is used for informational purposes.

In the case you're a package author, put the repository in your package.json, like this:

"repository": {
  "type": "git",
  "url": "git://github.com/username/repository.git"
}

Read more about the repository field, and see the logged bug for further details.

Additionally, as originally reported by @dan_nl, you can set private key in your package.json.
This will not only stop you from accidentally running npm publish in your app, but will also stop NPM from printing warnings regarding package.json problems.

{
  "name": "my-super-amazing-app",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "private": true
}
404
votes

you can also mark the application as private if you don’t plan to put it in an actual repository.

{
  "name": "my-application",
  "version": "0.0.1",
  "private": true
}
55
votes

As dan_nl stated, you can add a private fake repository in package.json. You don't even need name and version for it:

{
  ...,
  "repository": {
    "private": true
  }
}

Update: This feature is undocumented and might not work. Choose the following option.

Better still: Set the private flag directly. This way npm doesn't ask for a README file either:

{
  "name": ...,
  "description": ...,
  "version": ...,
  "private": true
}
47
votes

If you are getting this from your own package.json, just add the repository field to it. (use the link to your actual repository):

"repository" : { 
   "type" : "git",
   "url" : "https://github.com/npm/npm.git"
 }
9
votes

Have you run npm init? That command runs you through everything...

8
votes

In Simple word- package.json of your project has not property of repository you must have to add it,

and you have to add repository in your package.json like below

enter image description here

and Let me explain according to your scenario

you must have to add repository field something like below 

  "repository" : {     
     "type" : "git",
      "url" : "http://github.com/npm/express.git" 
   }
7
votes

If you don't want to specify a repository you can add the following lines to the package.json file:

"description":"",
"version":"0.0.1",
"private":true,

That worked for me.
By adding private, you don't need to link to a repo.

6
votes

To avoid warnings like:

npm WARN [email protected] No repository field.

You must define repository in your project package.json. In the case when you are developing with no publishing to the repository you can set "private": true in package.json

Example:

{
  "name": "test.loc",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "private": true,
  ...
  "license": "ISC"
}

NPM documentation about this: https://docs.npmjs.com/files/package.json

3
votes

Yes, probably you can re/create one by including -f at the end of your command

3
votes

this will help all of you to find your own correct details use 

npm ls dist-tag

this will then show the correct info so you don't guess the version file location etc

enjoy :)

-1
votes

use npm install -g angular-cli instead of
npm install -g@nagular/cli to install Angular