How to fix npm ERR! This package has been marked as private in npm

Edit package.json to remove the private restriction:

{
  "name": "my-package",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "private": false
}

Or simply remove the "private" field entirely—packages are public by default.

Scoped packages (@username/package) default to restricted. Make them public explicitly:

# Publish scoped package as public
npm publish --access public

This is required even if the private field is not set.

Persist the access setting for future publishes:

{
  "name": "@myorg/my-package",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "publishConfig": {
    "access": "public"
  }
}

This eliminates the need to pass --access public every time.

Ensure you're logged in with proper permissions:

# Check current login
npm whoami

# Re-authenticate if needed
npm logout
npm login

# Verify email is confirmed
npm profile get

In monorepos, ensure you're in the correct directory:

# Check current package name
cat package.json | grep '"name"'

# Navigate to correct package directory
cd packages/my-publishable-package
npm publish

The root package.json often has private: true intentionally.

If publishing to a private registry (not npm public), configure the registry:

{
  "name": "@myorg/my-package",
  "publishConfig": {
    "registry": "https://npm.pkg.github.com"
  }
}

Note: The private: true field still blocks publishing to ANY registry, including private ones.