Get npm Package Name Suggestions (NPMS.io)

Get package name suggestions and autocomplete from NPMS.io based on a search query.

Usage

npx tsx scripts/suggest.ts <query> [options]

Arguments

Argument	Required	Description
query	Yes	Search query (minimum 2 characters)

Options

Option	Description
--size=N	Number of suggestions to return (default: 25, max: 250)
--no-cache	Bypass cache and fetch fresh data from API

Output

Suggestions for "react" (25 results)
------------------------------------

1. react
   Score: 1000000
   URL: https://www.npmjs.com/package/react

2. react-dom
   Score: 950000
   URL: https://www.npmjs.com/package/react-dom

3. react-redux
   Score: 923000
   URL: https://www.npmjs.com/package/react-redux

...

Top 10 suggestions:
  react, react-dom, react-redux, react-router, react-scripts,
  react-native, react-hook-form, react-query, react-test-renderer

Script Execution (Preferred)

npx tsx scripts/suggest.ts <query> [options]

Options:

• --size=N - Number of suggestions to return (default: 25, max: 250)
• --no-cache - Bypass cache and fetch fresh data from API

Run from the npms-io plugin directory: ~/.claude/plugins/cache/npms-io/

Suggestions API

GET https://api.npms.io/v2/search/suggestions?q={query}

Parameters

Parameter	Required	Description
q	Yes	Search query (minimum 2 characters)

Examples

Get suggestions:

https://api.npms.io/v2/search/suggestions?q=react

Scoped packages:

https://api.npms.io/v2/search/suggestions?q=@babel

Response Format

The response contains an array of package suggestions:

[
  {
    "name": "react",
    "score": 1000000,
    "searchScore": 1000000
  },
  {
    "name": "react-dom",
    "score": 950000,
    "searchScore": 950000
  }
]

Fields:

• name - Package name
• score - Package quality score (higher is better)
• searchScore - Relevance to the search query (higher is better)

Search Query Requirements

• Minimum length: 2 characters
• Case sensitivity: Search is case-insensitive
• Partial matching: Matches package names containing the query
• Scoped packages: Include @scope/ prefix to search within a scope

Caching

Suggestions are cached for 1 hour. The package registry changes relatively slowly, and suggestion results remain stable for reasonable periods.

Use the --no-cache flag to bypass the cache.

Related

• Use npms-analyze to analyze specific package quality
• Use npms-compare to compare multiple packages
• Use npm-search for full-text search by keyword and description

Search Patterns

Exact Name

Find exact package name:

npx tsx scripts/suggest.ts react

Prefix Match

Find packages starting with a prefix:

npx tsx scripts/suggest.ts react-

Scoped Packages

Search within a scope:

npx tsx scripts/suggest.ts @babel/
npx tsx scripts/suggest.ts @types/react

Partial Match

Find packages containing a term:

npx tsx scripts/suggest.ts express
npx tsx scripts/suggest.ts router

Use Cases

Package Discovery

Discover packages when you know part of the name:

npx tsx scripts/suggest.ts redux

Autocomplete

Implement autocomplete for package input:

npx tsx scripts/suggest.ts --size=10 reac

Find Alternatives

Find related packages by name pattern:

npx tsx scripts/suggest.ts router

Scope Exploration

Explore packages in a specific scope:

npx tsx scripts/suggest.ts @babel/
npx tsx scripts/suggest.ts @types/

Tips

1. Be specific: Longer queries produce more relevant results
2. Use prefixes: Add - to find packages with specific prefixes
3. Explore scopes: Use @scope/ to browse scoped packages
4. Check quality: Use npms-analyze to review package quality before using
5. Compare options: Use npms-compare to evaluate multiple packages

Limitations

• Only searches package names (not descriptions or keywords)
• Minimum 2 character query required
• Maximum 250 results per request
• Results sorted by relevance and quality score

Difference from npm-search

Feature	npms-suggest	npm-search
Searches	Package names only	Names, descriptions, keywords
Speed	Very fast (name-only)	Slower (full-text)
Results	Name-based matches	Semantic matches
Best for	Autocomplete, name discovery	General package search

Notes

• NPMS.io suggestions are optimized for name matching and autocomplete
• Results include both quality and relevance scores
• Use for quick package name lookups when building CLIs or tools
• For comprehensive search, combine with npm-search