dist-deps-prune

CLI utility that scans published build outputs (from package.json files) to find actually used external packages, reports unused dependencies, and can prune package.json for release.

Install

npm i -D @prover-coder-ai/dist-deps-prune

Usage

Scan only

npx @prover-coder-ai/dist-deps-prune scan --package ./package.json

Apply pruning

npx @prover-coder-ai/dist-deps-prune apply --package ./package.json --write --prune-dev true

Release mode (backup + restore)

npx @prover-coder-ai/dist-deps-prune release --package ./package.json --command "npm publish"

Restore package.json

npx @prover-coder-ai/dist-deps-prune restore --package ./package.json

CI/CD (Release workflow)

Use the tool during release so only the published outputs’ dependencies stay in the package. Below is a minimal GitHub Actions snippet that builds, prunes, publishes, and restores automatically:

- name: Build dist
  run: pnpm build

- name: Publish with dist-deps-prune (auto restore)
  run: |
    npx @prover-coder-ai/dist-deps-prune release \
      --package ./package.json \
      --prune-dev true \
      --command "npm publish" \
      --silent
  env:
    NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}

If you already run a publish command (e.g., changeset-publish), just put it into --command.

Notes

• Supports ESM + CJS static imports in .js/.mjs/.cjs/.d.ts.
• Handles scoped packages and subpaths (@scope/pkg/path → @scope/pkg).
• Optional allowlist via .dist-deps-prune.json.