npm Trusted Publishing (OIDC)

Configure and debug secure, tokenless npm publishing from GitHub Actions using OpenID Connect (OIDC) and Provenance.

Core Requirements

Trusted Publishing eliminates the need for long-lived NPM_TOKEN secrets by using short-lived, cryptographically-signed tokens.

1. GitHub Actions Permissions

The workflow MUST have explicit permissions to fetch the OIDC ID token.

permissions:
  id-token: write # Required for OIDC
  contents: read  # Required for checkout

2. Node.js Version

Trusted Publishing requires Node.js 22.14.0 or higher and npm 11.5.1 or higher.

- uses: actions/setup-node@v4
  with:
    node-version: 22.14.0
    registry-url: 'https://registry.npmjs.org'

3. package.json Metadata (CRITICAL)

NPM validates provenance against the repository field. If this is missing or incorrect, the publish will fail with a 422 Unprocessable Entity.

{
  "repository": {
    "type": "git",
    "url": "https://github.com/USER/REPO"
  }
}

Workflow Implementation

Recommended Publish Step

Always use the latest npm CLI and explicit flags for maximum reliability.

- name: Publish to npm
  run: |
    npm install -g npm@latest
    npm publish --provenance --access public --registry https://registry.npmjs.org/

Troubleshooting Guide

404 Not Found

• Cause: Usually a registry mismatch.
• Fix: Explicitly set --registry https://registry.npmjs.org/ in the publish command. Ensure no .npmrc is overriding the registry to a mirror or private proxy.

422 Unprocessable Entity

• Cause: Metadata mismatch (most common: repository.url in package.json is missing or doesn't match the GitHub URL).
• Fix: Validate package.json against the actual repository URL.

403 Forbidden / Unauthorized

• Cause: The "Trusted Publisher" is not configured on npmjs.com or has an "Environment" mismatch.
• Fix:
  1. Check npmjs.com → Package Settings → Trusted Publishing.
  2. Verify Organization, Repository, and Workflow filename (e.g., publish.yml) are exact.
  3. If an Environment is specified on npm (e.g., "release"), it MUST be specified in the workflow: jobs.publish.environment: release.

User Instructions

When setting up a new project, provide these instructions to the user:

1. Configure npmjs.com: Go to your package settings → Trusted Publishing and add a new "GitHub Actions" publisher.
2. Fields:
   • Organization: YOUR_USERNAME
   • Repository: YOUR_REPO
   • Workflow filename: publish.yml
   • Environment: Leave blank (unless explicitly requested).
3. No Secrets Needed: Remind the user that NPM_TOKEN is NO LONGER REQUIRED in GitHub Secrets.

Additional Resources

For more detailed information, consult the official documentation. It is often helpful to fetch this URL to verify the latest field requirements or troubleshooting steps: https://docs.npmjs.org/trusted-publishers