Staged publishing for npm packages
npm has launched staged publishing, a new feature that lets package maintainers publish to a private staging environment before promoting to the public registry. According to the npm documentation, users can publish with the `--staged` flag to create a staged version, test it via `npm install` with a special tag, and then promote it using `npm publish --promote`. This process ensures that only verified packages reach consumers, reducing the chance of broken releases. The feature is available immediately for all npm users with no additional cost. It integrates with existing npm workflows and supports granular access control for teams. This addresses long-standing pain points in package management where accidental publishes or untested updates could disrupt downstream projects.
Staged publishing reduces the risk of broken npm releases reaching users.