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fix: improve unknown config warning with .npmrc section hint #8995

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wraithgar merged 4 commits into from
Feb 19, 2026
+50 −20
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fix: improve unknown config warning with .npmrc section hint #8995

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66c5cec
fix: improve unknown config warning with .npmrc section hint
umeshmore45 Feb 19, 2026
d925af9
docs: remove ini section recommendation per maintainer feedback
umeshmore45 Feb 19, 2026
0d06c0b
docs: use npmjs.org example domain to avoid squatting risk
umeshmore45 Feb 19, 2026
f114416
fix: remove ini section hint from unknown config warning message
umeshmore45 Feb 19, 2026
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27 changes: 27 additions & 0 deletions docs/lib/content/configuring-npm/npmrc.md
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Expand Up @@ -124,6 +124,33 @@ _authToken=MYTOKEN
//somewhere-else.com/another/:_authToken=MYTOKEN2
```

### Custom / third-party config keys

npm only recognizes its own [configuration options](/using-npm/config).
If your `.npmrc` contains keys that are not part of npm's config definitions
(for example, `electron_mirror` or `sass_binary_site`), npm will emit a
warning:

```
warn Unknown user config "electron_mirror".
This will stop working in the next major version of npm.
```

These keys were historically tolerated but are not officially supported.
A future major version of npm will treat unknown top-level keys as errors.

Some tools (such as `@electron/get` or `node-sass`) read their own
configuration from environment variables or from `.npmrc` by convention.
You can set these values as environment variables instead:

```bash
export ELECTRON_MIRROR="https://npmmirror.com/mirrors/electron/"
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@wraithgar wraithgar Feb 19, 2026

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In the past these example domains have been vectors for people to squat on them and claim a vulnerability. We try our best now to only use domains that npm itself owns, even in examples.

Can we change the example domains here to be something like mirrorexample.npmjs.org?

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@umeshmore45 umeshmore45 Feb 19, 2026

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@wraithgar Updated! Changed example domain to mirrorexample.npmjs.org

export ELECTRON_CUSTOM_DIR="{{ version }}"
```

Environment variables are the most portable approach and work regardless
of `.npmrc` format.

### See also

* [npm folders](/configuring-npm/folders)
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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/config.js.test.cjs
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Expand Up @@ -451,6 +451,6 @@ registry = "https://some.registry"

exports[`test/lib/commands/config.js TAP config list with publishConfig local > warns about unknown config 1`] = `
Array [
"Unknown publishConfig config /"other/". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.",
"Unknown publishConfig config /"other/". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See \`npm help npmrc\`.",
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@wraithgar wraithgar Feb 19, 2026

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Still recommending ini section here.

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@umeshmore45 umeshmore45 Feb 19, 2026

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@wraithgar Thanks for the feedback! Made all the changes:

  • Removed the [sectionName] hint from the warning message
  • Updated it to just say "See npm help npmrc for supported config options."
  • Removed the ini [section] recommendation from docs
  • Fixed the example domain to mirrorexample.npmjs.org
  • All tests and snapshots updated (108 suites passing)

Let me know if anything else needs tweaking!

]
`
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion test/lib/commands/publish.js
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Expand Up @@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ t.test('respects publishConfig.registry, runs appropriate scripts', async t => {
t.equal(fs.existsSync(path.join(prefix, 'scripts-prepublish')), false, 'did not run prepublish')
t.equal(fs.existsSync(path.join(prefix, 'scripts-publish')), true, 'ran publish')
t.equal(fs.existsSync(path.join(prefix, 'scripts-postpublish')), true, 'ran postpublish')
t.same(logs.warn, ['Unknown publishConfig config "other". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.'])
t.same(logs.warn, ['Unknown publishConfig config "other". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.'])
})

t.test('re-loads publishConfig.registry if added during script process', async t => {
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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion test/lib/commands/unpublish.js
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Expand Up @@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ t.test('publishConfig no spec', async t => {
t.equal(joinedOutput(), '- test-package')
t.same(logs.warn, [
'using --force Recommended protections disabled.',
'Unknown publishConfig config "other". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.',
'Unknown publishConfig config "other". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.',
])
})

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7 changes: 5 additions & 2 deletions workspaces/config/lib/index.js
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Expand Up @@ -608,13 +608,16 @@ class Config {
if (internalEnv.includes(key)) {
return
}
const hint = where !== 'cli'
? ' To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.'
: ''
if (!key.includes(':')) {
this.queueWarning(key, `Unknown ${where} config "${where === 'cli' ? '--' : ''}${key}". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.`)
this.queueWarning(key, `Unknown ${where} config "${where === 'cli' ? '--' : ''}${key}". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.${hint}`)
return
}
const baseKey = key.split(':').pop()
if (!this.definitions[baseKey] && !this.nerfDarts.includes(baseKey)) {
this.queueWarning(baseKey, `Unknown ${where} config "${baseKey}" (${key}). This will stop working in the next major version of npm.`)
this.queueWarning(baseKey, `Unknown ${where} config "${baseKey}" (${key}). This will stop working in the next major version of npm.${hint}`)
}
}
}
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30 changes: 15 additions & 15 deletions workspaces/config/test/index.js
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Expand Up @@ -381,8 +381,8 @@ loglevel = yolo
// warn logs are emitted as a side effect of validate
config.validate()
t.strictSame(logs.filter(l => l[0] === 'warn'), [
['warn', 'Unknown builtin config "builtin-config". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.'],
['warn', 'Unknown builtin config "foo". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.'],
['warn', 'Unknown builtin config "builtin-config". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.'],
['warn', 'Unknown builtin config "foo". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.'],
['warn', 'invalid config', 'registry="hello"', 'set in command line options'],
['warn', 'invalid config', 'Must be', 'full url with "http://"'],
['warn', 'invalid config', 'proxy="hello"', 'set in command line options'],
Expand All @@ -399,13 +399,13 @@ loglevel = yolo
['warn', 'invalid config', 'prefix=true', 'set in command line options'],
['warn', 'invalid config', 'Must be', 'valid filesystem path'],
['warn', 'config', 'also', 'Please use --include=dev instead.'],
['warn', 'Unknown env config "foo". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.'],
['warn', 'Unknown project config "project-config". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.'],
['warn', 'Unknown project config "foo". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.'],
['warn', 'Unknown user config "user-config-from-builtin". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.'],
['warn', 'Unknown user config "foo". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.'],
['warn', 'Unknown global config "global-config". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.'],
['warn', 'Unknown global config "foo". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.'],
['warn', 'Unknown env config "foo". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.'],
['warn', 'Unknown project config "project-config". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.'],
['warn', 'Unknown project config "foo". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.'],
['warn', 'Unknown user config "user-config-from-builtin". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.'],
['warn', 'Unknown user config "foo". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.'],
['warn', 'Unknown global config "global-config". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.'],
['warn', 'Unknown global config "foo". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.'],
['warn', 'invalid config', 'loglevel="yolo"', `set in ${resolve(path, 'project/.npmrc')}`],
['warn', 'invalid config', 'Must be one of:',
['silent', 'error', 'warn', 'notice', 'http', 'info', 'verbose', 'silly'].join(', '),
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -600,12 +600,12 @@ loglevel = yolo
['warn', 'invalid config', 'prefix=true', 'set in command line options'],
['warn', 'invalid config', 'Must be', 'valid filesystem path'],
['warn', 'config', 'also', 'Please use --include=dev instead.'],
['warn', 'Unknown env config "foo". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.'],
['warn', 'Unknown user config "default-user-config-in-home". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.'],
['warn', 'Unknown user config "foo". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.'],
['warn', 'Unknown global config "global-config". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.'],
['warn', 'Unknown global config "foo". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.'],
['warn', 'Unknown global config "asdf". This will stop working in the next major version of npm.'],
['warn', 'Unknown env config "foo". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.'],
['warn', 'Unknown user config "default-user-config-in-home". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.'],
['warn', 'Unknown user config "foo". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.'],
['warn', 'Unknown global config "global-config". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.'],
['warn', 'Unknown global config "foo". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.'],
['warn', 'Unknown global config "asdf". This will stop working in the next major version of npm. To pass package-specific config, use a scoped [sectionName] in .npmrc. See `npm help npmrc`.'],
])
logs.length = 0
})
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