pnpm is a fast, disk space efficient package manager. It uses a content-addressable store to deduplicate packages across all projects on a machine, saving significant disk space. pnpm enforces strict dependency resolution by default, preventing phantom dependencies. Configuration should preferably be placed in pnpm-workspace.yaml for pnpm-specific settings.
Important: When working with pnpm projects, agents should check for pnpm-workspace.yaml and .npmrc files to understand workspace structure and configuration. Always use --frozen-lockfile in CI environments.
Core
| Topic | Description | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| CLI Commands | Install, add, remove, update, run, exec, dlx, and workspace commands | core-cli |
| Configuration | pnpm-workspace.yaml, .npmrc settings, and package.json fields | core-config |
| Workspaces | Monorepo support with filtering, workspace protocol, and shared lockfile | core-workspaces |
| Store | Content-addressable storage, hard links, and disk efficiency | core-store |
Features
| Topic | Description | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Catalogs | Centralized dependency version management for workspaces | features-catalogs |
| Overrides | Force specific versions of dependencies including transitive | features-overrides |
| Patches | Modify third-party packages with custom fixes | features-patches |
| Aliases | Install packages under custom names using npm: protocol | features-aliases |
| Hooks | Customize resolution with .pnpmfile.cjs hooks | features-hooks |
| Peer Dependencies | Auto-install, strict mode, and dependency rules | features-peer-deps |
Best Practices
| Topic | Description | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| CI/CD Setup | GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Docker, and caching strategies | best-practices-ci |
| Migration | Migrating from npm/Yarn, handling phantom deps, monorepo migration | best-practices-migration |
| Performance | Install optimizations, store caching, workspace parallelization | best-practices-performance |