pnpm add: Add Dependencies

pnpm add installs a package and updates the manifest.

pnpm add supports monorepo targeting with --filter, but like other add commands it belongs in PRs, not CI.

Common flags

• -D - devDependency
• -E - exact version
• --filter <pkg> - add to one workspace
• -w - add to the workspace root

Example

Add a dev tool to one workspace package.

pnpm add -D -E --filter @app/web vitest

In CI

Running pnpm add in CI mutates the lockfile and breaks --frozen-lockfile. Keep it to local development.

Key takeaways

• --filter targets a workspace.
• -w adds to the root.
• Do not run pnpm add in CI.

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