npm-run-all — Run Multiple npm Scripts in Parallel or Series

Introduction

npm-run-all provides commands for orchestrating multiple npm scripts. Instead of chaining scripts with && or & (which behaves differently across shells), it offers run-s (sequential), run-p (parallel), and npm-run-all (configurable) commands that work consistently on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

What npm-run-all Does

• Runs npm scripts sequentially with run-s, stopping on the first failure
• Runs npm scripts in parallel with run-p, managing child process lifecycle
• Supports glob patterns to match script names (e.g., build:* runs all build:css, build:js, etc.)
• Provides consistent cross-platform behavior without shell-specific syntax
• Passes arguments through to child scripts and forwards stdio streams

Architecture Overview

npm-run-all parses script name patterns from its arguments, resolves them against the scripts defined in package.json, and spawns child processes using cross-spawn for platform compatibility. In sequential mode (run-s), processes run one after another with early exit on failure. In parallel mode (run-p), all processes start simultaneously and npm-run-all monitors them, forwarding output and exit codes. When any parallel process fails, the remaining processes are terminated.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Install as a dev dependency; commands (run-s, run-p, npm-run-all) are available in npm scripts
• Use glob patterns like build:* or test:** to match multiple scripts dynamically
• Pass the --continue-on-error flag to run-p to keep going after a parallel task fails
• Use --race to terminate all parallel tasks when the first one finishes
• Forward arguments to child scripts with -- --flag syntax

Key Features

• Three commands: run-s (sequential), run-p (parallel), npm-run-all (mixed)
• Glob-pattern script matching for dynamic build pipelines
• Cross-platform process spawning without shell syntax issues
• --race mode for running dev servers alongside watch tasks
• Colored, interleaved parallel output with process labels

Comparison with Similar Tools

• concurrently — focuses on parallel execution with richer output formatting; less support for sequential chaining
• Shell && and & — built-in but behave differently on Windows cmd vs. Unix shells
• Turborepo / Nx — monorepo-aware task runners with caching; heavier and designed for multi-package repos
• wireit (Google) — npm script orchestrator with incremental builds; more configuration required

FAQ

Q: What is the difference between run-s, run-p, and npm-run-all? A: run-s runs scripts sequentially, run-p runs them in parallel, and npm-run-all supports both via --sequential and --parallel flags.

Q: How do glob patterns work? A: build:* matches any script starting with build: (one level). build:** matches nested patterns as well.

Q: Is npm-run-all still maintained? A: The original package is stable. An actively maintained fork (npm-run-all2) continues development with bug fixes and Node.js compatibility updates.

Q: Can I use it outside of npm scripts? A: Yes. Run npx run-s lint test or invoke the commands directly if installed globally.

Sources

• https://github.com/mysticatea/npm-run-all
• https://www.npmjs.com/package/npm-run-all