angular/angular-cli · error · SchematicsException

Could not find "@angular/core" version.

Error message

Could not find "@angular/core" version.

What it means

Thrown by the service-worker schematic's addDependencies when @angular/core is absent from the workspace package.json, so its version cannot be used to pin @angular/service-worker to the matching Angular version.

Source

Thrown at packages/schematics/angular/service-worker/index.ts:41

import ts from 'typescript';
import { addDependency, addRootProvider, writeWorkspace } from '../utility';
import { addSymbolToNgModuleMetadata, insertImport } from '../utility/ast-utils';
import { applyToUpdateRecorder } from '../utility/change';
import { getDependency } from '../utility/dependency';
import { getAppModulePath, isStandaloneApp } from '../utility/ng-ast-utils';
import { relativePathToWorkspaceRoot } from '../utility/paths';
import { createProjectSchematic } from '../utility/project';
import { targetBuildNotFoundError } from '../utility/project-targets';
import { findAppConfig } from '../utility/standalone/app_config';
import { findBootstrapApplicationCall, getMainFilePath } from '../utility/standalone/util';
import { Builders } from '../utility/workspace-models';
import { Schema as ServiceWorkerOptions } from './schema';

function addDependencies(): Rule {
  return (host: Tree) => {
    const coreDep = getDependency(host, '@angular/core');
    if (!coreDep) {
      throw new SchematicsException('Could not find "@angular/core" version.');
    }

    return addDependency('@angular/service-worker', coreDep.version);
  };
}

function updateAppModule(mainPath: string): Rule {
  return (host: Tree, context: SchematicContext) => {
    context.logger.debug('Updating appmodule');

    const modulePath = getAppModulePath(host, mainPath);
    context.logger.debug(`module path: ${modulePath}`);

    addImport(host, modulePath, 'ServiceWorkerModule', '@angular/service-worker');
    addImport(host, modulePath, 'isDevMode', '@angular/core');

    // register SW in application module
    const importText = `

View on GitHub (pinned to bb72145f9a)

Solutions

1. Install @angular/core (`npm i @angular/core`) and re-run the service-worker/PWA schematic.
2. Run the schematic from the Angular workspace root.
3. Verify package.json contains "@angular/core" under dependencies (`npm pkg get dependencies.@angular/core`).
4. Repair or restore package.json if it is malformed.

Example fix

// before
"dependencies": {}
// after
"dependencies": { "@angular/core": "^18.0.0" }

const pkg = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('package.json', 'utf8'));
if (!pkg.dependencies?.['@angular/core']) {
  throw new Error('Install @angular/core before adding a service worker.');
}

function hasAngularCore(pkg: { dependencies?: Record<string, string> }): boolean {
  return typeof pkg.dependencies?.['@angular/core'] === 'string';
}

try {
  await generateServiceWorkerSchematic(options);
} catch (e) {
  if (String(e.message).includes('Could not find "@angular/core" version')) {
    console.error('Add @angular/core to dependencies and re-run the PWA schematic.');
  } else throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running `ng generate @angular/pwa` / service-worker schematic where getDependency(host, '@angular/core') returns null — @angular/core missing from package.json dependencies or the package.json unreadable/malformed.

Common situations: Adding PWA to a non-Angular or partially scaffolded workspace; package.json edited to remove dependencies; running the schematic in a subfolder without a package.json; failed npm install leaving package.json incomplete.

Related errors

• Could not find version.
• Service worker requires a project type of "application".
• No "production" configuration found for build target. The "s
• Package dependency "${name}" already exists with a different
• Option "project" is required.

AI-assisted analysis of angular/angular-cli@bb72145f9a (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f12406c5ce1de81c. Report an issue: GitHub.