Removing unused npm packages is essential for maintaining clean dependencies and reducing bundle size in Node.js projects. As the creator of CoreUI, a widely used open-source UI library, I’ve managed countless package dependencies across multiple projects over 25 years of development. From my expertise, the most reliable approach is to use the npm uninstall command, which removes the package and updates your package.json automatically. This ensures proper dependency cleanup and prevents version conflicts.

Installing npm packages is fundamental for Node.js development, enabling you to leverage thousands of community libraries and tools for faster application development. As the creator of CoreUI, a widely used open-source UI library, I’ve installed countless npm packages across Node.js projects for build tools, testing frameworks, and utility libraries in enterprise applications. From my expertise, the most standard approach is to use npm install command with proper dependency classification. This method ensures proper package management, version control, and deployment optimization through correct package.json configuration.