# Is it safe to delete the npm cache (~/.npm/_cacache)?

- URL: https://moreroom.app/folders/npm-cache
- Item: npm cache
- Location: `~/.npm/_cacache`
- Verdict: Safe to remove — Rebuilt or re-downloaded automatically when needed.
- Comes back on its own: yes
- Official command: `npm cache clean --force`
- Source: MoreRoom rules catalogue (2026-10-17), by Yando Pte. Ltd.

## What is it?

npm keeps every package tarball and registry response it downloads in a content-addressed cache, `~/.npm/_cacache`, so later installs can skip the network. It is shared by all projects, is never trimmed automatically, and typically grows to one to several gigabytes.

## What happens if you delete it?

npm downloads packages again the next time a project needs them, so the next installs are slower and need a connection. Your projects’ `node_modules` folders are separate and keep working.

## How to remove it properly

Run `npm cache clean --force` in Terminal, npm’s own command, which deletes the cache permanently. If you only suspect corruption, `npm cache verify` checks the cache and removes unneeded data without emptying it.