npm ERR! code E404 - Not Found — how to fix

npm ERR! code E404
npm ERR! 404 Not Found - GET https://registry.npmjs.org/my-pakage - Not found
npm ERR! 404  'my-pakage@*' is not in this registry.

Quick fix: Check the exact name on npmjs.com (npm view <name>). For scoped/private packages (@company/pkg) log in or set the token in .npmrc. Check npm config get registry points where you expect.

What it means

npm sent GET <registry>/<package> and got 404. The registry answers 404 both for "doesn't exist" and "exists but you're not allowed to see it" (private packages).

Cause 1: typo or wrong package name

npm view my-pakage          # 404
npm search my-package

Many packages have unexpected names: @types/node, node-fetch, bcryptjs vs bcrypt. Copy the name from the package's npm page.

Cause 2: the version doesn't exist

404 'lodash@9.0.0' is not in this registry means the package exists but not that version. List versions:

npm view lodash versions --json

Fix the version in package.json, or delete package-lock.json if it pins a version that was unpublished.

Cause 3: private or scoped package without auth

For @company/pkg hosted on npm privately:

npm login
npm whoami

For GitHub Packages, GitLab, Artifactory etc., the scope must point at that registry with a token in .npmrc:

@company:registry=https://npm.pkg.github.com
//npm.pkg.github.com/:_authToken=${NPM_TOKEN}

In CI, make sure NPM_TOKEN is set as a secret.

Cause 4: wrong registry configured

npm config get registry

Should normally be https://registry.npmjs.org/. A leftover corporate mirror or .npmrc in the project/home folder can send all requests elsewhere:

npm config set registry https://registry.npmjs.org/

Cause 5: npm ERR! 404 on npm publish

Publishing a scoped package you don't own, or to an organization you're not a member of, returns 404. Check the name in package.json, and for a public scoped package use npm publish --access public.

Last updated 2026-10-29.