docs(npm-install): document engines field priority #8798
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owlstronaut
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Dec 1, 2025
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Description
This PR documents npm's behavior of prioritizing package versions based on the
enginesfield when installing packages by name without a specific version.Changes
npm install [<@scope>/]<name>section explaining that npm prioritizes versions compatible with the current Node.js versionlatesttag points to an incompatible version, npm installs the newest compatible version instead@latestto install a specific version regardless ofenginescompatibilityContext
This behavior was introduced in npm 10.8.2 but was not documented, causing confusion for users who expected
npm install <package>to always install the version tagged aslatest. Users reported unexpected behavior where older versions were installed when thelatestversion hadenginesrequirements that didn't match their Node.js version.Closes #7704