craft add

Add packages to package.json and install them.

craft add [OPTIONS] <PACKAGES>...

Options

Option	Does
-D, --dev	Save to devDependencies
-E, --exact	Save the exact resolved version instead of a caret range
-O, --save-optional	Save to optionalDependencies
-P, --save-peer	Save to peerDependencies, and to devDependencies so it is installed for development
--ignore-scripts	Run no lifecycle scripts

Plus the global options.

Package specifiers

You type	Saved as
react	"react": "^19.2.0", a caret range of the version installed
react@18	"react": "^18.3.1"
react@18.3.1	"react": "^18.3.1" (with -E: "18.3.1")
typescript@next	a caret range of what next points to
react-18@npm:react@^18	"react-18": "npm:react@^18.3.1"
@acme/ui	"@acme/ui": "^2.0.0"
./packages/ui	"ui": "file:packages/ui", named after the package found there
github:vercel/ms#2.1.3	as given
https://example.com/pkg.tgz	as given

See Dependency sources for every form.

Behaviour

• craft add reads package.json before contacting the registry, so a missing file fails at once:

  error: no package.json found; run `craft init` to create one

• The packages you name resolve afresh, ignoring versions locked in craft.lock; the rest of the project keeps its locked versions.
• A package already in another section moves: craft add -D react takes react out of dependencies.
• Entries are inserted in alphabetical order, and package.json keeps its indentation, key order and line endings.
• The whole project is installed, so node_modules and craft.lock stay consistent.

Examples

craft add express
craft add -D typescript vitest @types/node
craft add -E lodash@4.17.21
craft add -O fsevents
craft add -P react@^19
craft add sw@npm:string-width@^4

$ craft add express
+ express 5.3.0
65 packages installed in 1.8s