How to fix npm ERR! code EMPTYPACKAGE npm ERR! Package contains no files in npm

Before publishing, verify exactly what files npm will include in your package. Run this command to see the contents that would be packed:

npx npm-packlist

This shows you the exact file list that will be included. If it's empty or missing critical files, proceed to the next steps.

If your source files are in .gitignore (which is normal for dist/ or build/), create a .npmignore file in your project root that explicitly allows them:

# .npmignore (create this file)
node_modules/
.git/
.github/
.env
src/
test/
*.test.js
.gitignore
.eslintrc
tsconfig.json

Leave dist/ and lib/ included by not listing them.

Add or update the 'files' field in your package.json to explicitly specify which directories and files should be included. Use plain directory names without './' prefix:

{
  "name": "my-package",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "files": [
    "dist",
    "lib",
    "src",
    "README.md",
    "LICENSE"
  ],
  "main": "dist/index.js",
  "types": "dist/index.d.ts"
}

Note: package.json, README.md, and LICENSE are included by default.

Ensure your build process has actually created the output directory:

# Build your project first
npm run build

# Verify the dist directory exists and contains files
ls -la dist/

Common issue: developers forget to run their build script before publishing. Configure prepublishOnly:

{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "tsc",
    "prepublishOnly": "npm run build"
  }
}

Always test locally before pushing to npm registry:

# Create a test tarball
npm pack

# This creates my-package-1.0.0.tgz in your current directory
# Extract it to inspect contents
tar -tzf my-package-1.0.0.tgz | head -20

If the output shows missing files or only contains package.json, do not run 'npm publish'. Fix your .npmignore or files field first.