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The deno remove command removes dependencies from your project’s configuration file.

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Usage

deno remove [OPTIONS] <PACKAGES...>

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Description

Removes packages from your deno.json imports or package.json dependencies. The command:
  • Removes the dependency from your configuration file
  • Updates the lockfile
  • Removes unused packages from cache
The command searches both deno.json and package.json (if present) for the specified packages.

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Arguments

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PACKAGES
string[]
required
One or more package names or aliases to remove. Can be:
  • Package name: @std/assert
  • Import alias: my-assert
  • With prefix: jsr:@std/assert or npm:express

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Options

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--lockfile-only
boolean
default:"false"
Only update the lockfile, don’t remove packages from cache.

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Examples

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Remove a package by name

deno remove @std/assert
This removes from deno.json: 
{
  "imports": {
    "@std/assert": "jsr:@std/assert@^1.0.0"  // <- removed
  }
}

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Remove multiple packages

deno remove @std/assert express chalk

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Remove by alias

If you added with an alias: 
deno add my-assert@jsr:@std/assert
Remove with the alias: 
deno remove my-assert

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Remove with prefix

deno remove jsr:@std/assert
deno remove npm:express

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Only update lockfile

deno remove --lockfile-only @std/assert

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Behavior with Multiple Config Files

If both deno.json and package.json exist, the command:
  1. Searches for the package in both files
  2. Removes it from any file where it’s found
  3. Reports which package was removed

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Example with both configs

deno.json: 
{
  "imports": {
    "@std/assert": "jsr:@std/assert@^1.0.0"
  }
}
package.json: 
{
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "^4.18.2"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "typescript": "^5.0.0"
  }
}
Running: 
deno remove @std/assert express
Removes @std/assert from deno.json and express from package.json.

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Removing from devDependencies

The command automatically searches both dependencies and devDependencies in package.json: 
deno remove typescript
This removes typescript from devDependencies if present.

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What Gets Removed

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From deno.json

  • Entries in the imports map
  • Empty imports object is preserved

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From package.json

  • Entries in dependencies
  • Entries in devDependencies
  • Empty objects are preserved

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After Removal

After removing packages, the command automatically:
  1. Updates the lockfile to remove unused entries
  2. Cleans up cached packages (unless --lockfile-only)
  3. Reports which packages were removed

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Error Cases

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Package not found

If a package isn’t found in any configuration file: 
deno remove nonexistent-package
# Output: No packages were removed

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No configuration file

If neither deno.json nor package.json exists: 
deno remove @std/assert
# Error: No configuration file found

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Examples with Workspace

In a workspace, the command operates on the current directory’s configuration: 
# From workspace root
deno remove @std/assert

# From a package directory
cd packages/my-package
deno remove express

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Comparison with npm

Similar to npm/yarn remove:
npm/yarnDeno
npm remove expressdeno remove express
npm remove -D typescriptdeno remove typescript (automatically finds in devDependencies)
yarn remove @types/nodedeno remove @types/node

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Notes

  • The command is idempotent - running it multiple times has the same effect
  • Removing a package doesn’t affect other packages that may depend on it
  • The lockfile is automatically updated after removal
  • Unused cached packages are cleaned up (improves disk usage)

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