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pnpm exec and pnpm dlx

pnpm exec runs a locally installed binary on PATH.

Use pnpm exec for pinned project tools and pnpm dlx for one-off fetches, mirroring npm exec/npx.

Common usage

  • pnpm exec <cmd> [args] - local bin
  • pnpm dlx <pkg> [args] - temporary fetch
  • pin with pnpm dlx <pkg>@<version>

Example in CI

Run a pinned local tool.

shell
pnpm exec tsc --noEmit

In CI

Prefer pnpm exec against a devDependency for determinism; reserve pnpm dlx for scaffolding.

Key takeaways

  • pnpm exec runs pinned local bins.
  • pnpm dlx fetches one-offs.
  • Prefer exec in CI for determinism.

Related guides

pnpm dlx: Run Packages Temporarilypnpm dlx downloads and runs a package in a throwaway environment, the pnpm equivalent of npx and yarn dlx. npm exec: Run Package Binariesnpm exec runs a command from a local or remote package, the engine behind npx. Useful for one-off tools in CI.
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