antfuInstall Pnpm
Pick your agent. Every command is ready to paste.
npx skills add antfu/skills --skill pnpmThe open skills CLI detects your agents (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and 70+ more) and installs to the right folder. Add -g to install globally.
01
Install it
Run the command above, or upload the folder in Claude.
02
Ask naturally
Describe the task. Your agent loads pnpm when the request matches its description.
03
Name it if needed
If it does not trigger, say “use the pnpm skill”. In Codex, type $pnpm.
pnpm is a fast, disk space efficient package manager. It uses a content-addressable store to deduplicate packages across all projects on a machine, and enforces strict dependency resolution by default, preventing phantom dependencies.
pnpm v12 is a Rust rewrite of v11: stable, and keeps v11's commands, flags, settings, and lockfile format — so most guidance here applies to both. A handful of v12 behaviors differ (git deps resolve via HTTPS, project-aware global bins, other package managers, packageImportMethod: auto hardlinks first on Linux) — see best-practices-migration.
Configuration model (important): pnpm settings live in pnpm-workspace.yaml (and the global config.yaml) using camelCase keys. .npmrc is used only for authentication/registry credentials, and the pnpm field of package.json is no longer read. When working in a pnpm project, check pnpm-workspace.yaml for settings/workspace structure and .npmrc only for auth. Always use --frozen-lockfile (or pnpm ci) in CI.
The skill is based on pnpm 12.18, generated at 2026-11-05. It covers v11+v12 behavior (config split, config includes, isolated global packages,
allowBuilds,pmOnFail, global virtual store, native release management, workspace task orchestration, and experimental Python/Cargo support) where current docs describe them.
Core
| Topic | Description | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| CLI Commands | install/add/remove/update, run, dlx/pnx, workspace, runtime, publishing (version, view, sbom, stage) | core-cli |
| Configuration | pnpm-workspace.yaml settings (camelCase), global config.yaml, config includes, packageConfigs, auth (.npmrc, auth.ini) | core-config |
| Workspaces | Monorepo support: filtering, workspace protocol, shared lockfile, packageConfigs | core-workspaces |
| Store | Content-addressable store, virtual store, node linker modes (incl. loaded/store loader), frozen/read-only store | core-store |
Features
| Topic | Description | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Catalogs | Centralized dependency versions; catalogMode, catalog: in overrides | features-catalogs |
| Overrides | Force versions (incl. transitive & peer deps); packageExtensions | features-overrides |
| Patches | Modify third-party packages; patchedDependencies in pnpm-workspace.yaml | features-patches |
| Aliases | Install under custom names (npm:) and registry aliases (namedRegistries) | features-aliases |
| Hooks | .pnpmfile.mjs hooks (readPackage, updateConfig, beforePacking), finders, resolvers/fetchers | features-hooks |
| Peer Dependencies | Auto-install, strict mode, rules, dedupePeers, peers check | features-peer-deps |
| Config Dependencies | Share hooks/settings/catalogs/patches across repos via configDependencies | features-config-dependencies |
| Global Virtual Store & Shims | Shared node_modules, git-worktree multi-agent setups, isolated global packages, project-aware bins, other package managers | features-global-virtual-store |
| Supply-Chain Security | Build approval (allowBuilds), permissions and agent skills, minimumReleaseAge, trustPolicy, lockfile integrity | features-supply-chain-security |
| Task Orchestration | Cross-project task graphs (tasks/dependsOn), concurrency groups, priority, pnpm pipeline | features-task-orchestration |
| Release Management | Native versioning: pnpm change/version -r/lane, lanes, epics, fixed groups | features-versioning |
| Multi-Ecosystem | Python (pypi:) and Cargo (crate:) dependencies alongside npm (experimental) | features-multi-ecosystem |
Best Practices
| Topic | Description | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| CI/CD Setup | GitHub Actions, GitLab, Docker, pnpm ci, store caching, frozen lockfiles | best-practices-ci |
| Migration | npm/Yarn → pnpm, phantom deps, and pnpm v10 → v11 → v12 upgrade notes | best-practices-migration |
| Performance | Install optimizations, allowBuilds, global virtual store, workspace parallelization | best-practices-performance |
Tips for Pnpm
- • Start a fresh session after installing so your agent picks up the new skill.
- • It bundles reference files. The agent reads them only when needed, so they cost no context until then.
- • It is part of a pack with 14 skills. Install only the ones you need with --skill to keep triggers precise.
- • If two skills overlap, mention the one you want by name.
Questions about Pnpm
What does the Pnpm skill do?
Node.js package manager with strict dependency resolution. Use when running pnpm specific commands, configuring workspaces via pnpm-workspace.yaml, or managing dependencies with catalogs, patches, overrides, config dependencies, or the global virtual store.
How do I install Pnpm?
Run "npx skills add antfu/skills --skill pnpm" in your project. The skills CLI installs it for Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and 70+ other agents. In Claude on the web, upload the skill folder as a ZIP under Customize > Skills.
Does Pnpm work in Cursor and Codex?
Yes. Pnpm uses the open SKILL.md format, so it works in Claude Code, Claude, Cursor, OpenAI Codex, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and other agents that support agent skills.
Is Pnpm free?
Pnpm is open source on GitHub under the MIT license. It is free to install; check the license before commercial use.
Who made Pnpm?
Pnpm is published by antfu in the antfu/skills repository, together with 13 other skills.
