Package Dependency

A declared requirement that one package version needs another package version already installed before it can build or install.

Definition

A package dependency is a declared relationship in sfdx-project.json stating that one package version relies on another specific package version, or on a platform requirement, being present before it can be created or installed. Salesforce enforces these declarations strictly: you can't create a version of a package that depends on another until the dependency's version is itself created and available, and installers get the full dependency chain resolved automatically at install time. This matters most for ISVs shipping multiple related packages, a base package plus add-ons, where the install and upgrade order across packages has to stay consistent or subscriber orgs end up with mismatched versions. Poorly managed dependencies are a common source of broken builds as a 2GP package portfolio grows past one or two packages. See our 2GP gotchas guide for common dependency pitfalls.

In practice

How it works in Serpent

Serpent resolves and orders package dependencies automatically during builds and promotions, so a multi-package portfolio doesn't need a hand-maintained dependency graph or manual build ordering. When a task touches a package with downstream dependents, Serpent surfaces the affected packages before promotion so nothing ships out of order. See 2GP CI/CD in Serpent for how multi-package dependency chains are handled.

Common questions