---
title: Generating and locating npm-debug.log files
redirect_from:
  - /generating-and-locating-npm-debug-log-files
---

When a package fails to install or publish, the npm CLI will generate an `npm-debug.log` file. This log file can help you figure out what went wrong.

If you need to generate a `npm-debug.log` file, you can run one of these commands.

For installing packages:

```
npm install --timing
```

For publishing packages:

```
npm publish --timing
```

You can find the `npm-debug.log` file in your `.npm` directory. To find your `.npm` directory, use `npm config get cache`.

If you use a CI environment, your logs are likely located elsewhere. For example, in Travis CI, you can find them in the `/home/travis/build` directory.
