---
title: Filtering Packages
description: Learn more about all the package filtering flags in Melos.
---

# Filtering Packages

Each Melos command can be used alongside the following global filters:

## --no-private

Exclude private packages (`publish_to: none`). They are included by default.

```bash
melos bootstrap --no-private
```

## --published

Filter packages where the current local package version exists on pub.dev.

```bash
melos bootstrap --published
```

Use `--no-published` to filter packages that have not had their current version
published yet.

## --scope

Include only packages with names matching the given glob. This option can be
repeated.

```bash
# Run `flutter build ios` on all packages with "example" in the package name
melos exec --scope="*example*" -- flutter build ios
```

## --ignore

Exclude packages with names matching the given glob. This option can be
repeated.

```bash
# Run `flutter build ios` on all packages but ignore those whose packages names contain "internal"
melos exec --ignore="*internal*" -- flutter build ios
```

## --category

Filter packages based on categories declared in the root `pubspec.yaml` file.

```bash
# Run `flutter build ios` on all packages in the "examples" category.
melos exec --category="examples" -- flutter build ios
```

## --diff

Filter packages based on whether there were changes between a commit and the
current HEAD or within a range of commits.

A range of commits can be specified using the git short hand syntax
`<start-commit>..<end-commit>` and `<start-commit>...<end-commit>`.

```bash
# Run `flutter build ios` on all packages that are different between current
# branch and the specified commit hash.
melos exec --diff=<commit hash> -- flutter build ios

# Run `flutter build ios` on all packages that are different between remote
# `main` branch and HEAD.
melos exec --diff=origin/main...HEAD -- flutter build ios
```

## --dir-exists

Include only packages where a specific directory exists inside the package.

```bash
# Only bootstrap packages with an example directory
melos bootstrap --dir-exists="example"
```

## --file-exists

Include only packages where a specific file exists in the package.

```bash
# Only bootstrap packages with an README.md file
melos bootstrap --file-exists="README.md"
```

## --flutter

Filter packages where the package depends on the Flutter SDK.

```bash
melos exec --flutter -- flutter test
```

Use `--no-flutter` to filter packages that do not depend on the Flutter SDK.

## --depends-on

Include only packages that depend on specific dependencies.

```bash
melos exec --depends-on="flutter" --depends-on="firebase_core" -- flutter test
```

Use `--no-depends-on` to filter packages that do not depend on the given
dependencies.

## --include-dependencies

Takes the filtered list of packages, and expands them to include those packages'
transitive dependencies (ignoring filters).

```bash
melos list --scope=some_package --include-dependencies
```

## --include-dependents
Takes the filtered list of packages, and expands them to include those packages'
transitive dependents (ignoring filters).

```bash
melos list --scope=some_package --include-dependents
```