---
topic: install
source_keys:
  - context7-microsoft-apm
---

## `apm install`

```bash
apm install                            # resolve/install everything in apm.yml against apm.lock.yaml
apm install acme/internal-tools#^1.0.0  # install and add this dependency
apm install --update                    # re-resolve; accept new upstream content even if it doesn't match the lockfile hash
apm install --target agent-skills       # emit a vendor-neutral output dir instead of a harness-specific one
```

With no arguments, resolves and installs everything declared under `dependencies:`/`devDependencies:` in `apm.yml` against `apm.lock.yaml`. One or more `PACKAGE_REF` arguments (any of the forms in `references/configure.md`'s "Dependency reference forms" — pinned tag, plain repo, single primitive, raw git URL, `git:`/`path:`/`ref:` object, or local relative path) install that dependency and add it to `apm.yml`.

`--update` is the escape hatch for a lockfile hash mismatch against upstream — normal `apm install` treats that as drift and won't silently accept it; see `references/audit.md` for the CI-side check (`apm install --frozen`) that fails instead of re-resolving.

`--target agent-skills` generates the vendor-neutral output directory instead of a Claude/Copilot-specific one — for IDE-agnostic tool support.

If a `PACKAGE_REF` resolves through a named registry rather than a plain git source, `apm experimental enable registries` must already have been run — see `SKILL.md`'s Gotchas for the precondition and its silent-no-op failure mode.