How to fix npm ERR! code ESHRINKWRAP npm ERR! npm-shrinkwrap.json does not match package.json in npm

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The ESHRINKWRAP error indicates that your npm-shrinkwrap.json file and package.json are out of sync, usually because package.json was modified without updating the shrinkwrap file.

What this error means

The ESHRINKWRAP error indicates that your npm-shrinkwrap.json file and package.json are out of sync with your node_modules directory. This error occurs because npm uses the shrinkwrap file to enforce strict version locking for reproducible installs, similar to package-lock.json. When npm detects that the locked versions in shrinkwrap don't match what's declared in package.json, it refuses to proceed, preventing potentially inconsistent dependency trees from being installed. This is a safety mechanism—npm is preventing you from installing a state where your actual dependencies would be ambiguous. The shrinkwrap file should be an exact record of what's installed, but if package.json has been modified (or packages added/removed) without updating the shrinkwrap, npm can't trust which version should actually be installed.

How to fix "npm ERR! code ESHRINKWRAP npm ERR! npm-shrinkwrap.json does not match package.json"

1Delete shrinkwrap and node_modules, then reinstall

This is the most straightforward solution. It regenerates everything from scratch based on your package.json:

bash

# Remove both the shrinkwrap and node_modules
rm npm-shrinkwrap.json
rm -rf node_modules

# Reinstall all packages (reads from package.json)
npm install

# Regenerate a fresh shrinkwrap file
npm shrinkwrap

This approach is safe because you're starting from the source of truth (package.json) and creating a new shrinkwrap that matches.

2Run npm install to sync node_modules with package.json

If you want to keep the shrinkwrap file but suspect node_modules is out of date:

bash

# Update node_modules to match package.json
npm install

# Update the shrinkwrap to match what's now installed
npm shrinkwrap --save

The --save flag updates the existing shrinkwrap instead of creating a new one.

3Check package.json for manual edits

Review git history to see if package.json was modified recently:

bash

# View recent changes to package.json
git log --oneline -p package.json | head -50

# See what changed in your local copy
git diff package.json

If you made manual edits, either revert them or update properly with npm:

bash

# Revert to last committed version
git checkout package.json

# OR properly install a package
npm install --save package-name@version

4Resolve git merge conflicts in lock files

If you just merged branches and shrinkwrap is conflicted, let npm resolve it:

bash

# First resolve any conflicts in package.json manually
# Then run install with --package-lock-only to merge lock files
npm install --package-lock-only

If the merge is complex:

bash

# Accept the package.json you want
git checkout --ours package.json  # or --theirs

# Remove shrinkwrap entirely
rm npm-shrinkwrap.json

# Reinstall from scratch
npm install
npm shrinkwrap

5Consider using package-lock.json instead

If shrinkwrap keeps causing issues, modern projects typically use package-lock.json:

bash

# Delete npm-shrinkwrap.json
rm npm-shrinkwrap.json

# npm will auto-generate package-lock.json on next install
npm install

Add to .gitattributes to prevent bad auto-merges:

bash

/npm-shrinkwrap.json merge=binary

How to fix npm ERR! code ESHRINKWRAP npm ERR! npm-shrinkwrap.json does not match package.json in npm

What this error means

Typical symptoms

Common causes

How to fix "npm ERR! code ESHRINKWRAP npm ERR! npm-shrinkwrap.json does not match package.json"

Advanced notes

Related errors

Official resources & further reading