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Update about-semantic-versioning.mdx to clarify version resolution and pre-releases #1655

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Update about-semantic-versioning.mdx to clarify version resolution and pre-releases #1655

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6 changes: 6 additions & 0 deletions ...and-modules/contributing-packages-to-the-registry/about-semantic-versioning.mdx
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Expand Up @@ -35,6 +35,12 @@ For example, to specify acceptable version ranges up to 1.0.4, use the following

For more information on semantic versioning syntax, see the [npm semver calculator][semver-calc].

<Note>

**Note:** When using version ranges in your `package.json`, npm resolves to the **highest available version** that satisfies the specified constraints. This behavior ensures that consumers automatically receive the most recent compatible stable release, as long as the changes remain within the defined semver range. Pre-release versions (e.g., `1.2.0-beta.1`) are ignored unless explicitly requested or allowed via specific configuration.

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I believe that if your range includes a prerelease then new prereleases will be included.
example from semver.npmjs.com showing >11.0.0-pre.0 including 11.0.0-pre.1

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Thanks for your input! You're absolutely right that when the version range explicitly includes a prerelease version — like >11.0.0-pre.0 — then further prereleases will be considered as valid candidates.

My contribution was intended to reflect the default behavior when the version range does not explicitly include a prerelease version — for example, using ^1.0.0 or ~2.2.0. In those cases, even if a prerelease version exists within the semantic range (like 1.1.0-beta.0), npm install will not install it unless:

  • the prerelease is explicitly included in the version range, or
  • the version is installed directly via npm install some-lib@1.1.0-beta.0.

This behavior has even led to some confusion in the community, as discussed in npm/cli#7851, where users expected >x.y.z-beta to include later prereleases — but npm does not currently resolve those by default.

This distinction between stable and prerelease resolution isn't always obvious, so I thought it would be helpful to clarify. Happy to refine the wording further if needed!

</Note>

### Example

```json
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