node.js - Find unused npm packages in package.json

Question

Is there a way to determine if you have packages in your package.json file that are no longer needed?

For instance, when trying out a package and later commenting or deleting code, but forgetting to uninstall it, I end up with a couple packages that could be deleted.

What would be an efficient way to determine if a package could safely be deleted?

Answer 1

You can use an npm module called depcheck (requires at least version 10 of Node).

1. Install the module:

    npm install depcheck -g
   
    or
   
    yarn global add depcheck
   

2. Run it and find the unused dependencies:

    depcheck
   

The good thing about this approach is that you don't have to remember the find or grep command.

To run without installing use npx:

npx depcheck