cargo 'no matching package named X found' after cargo update

TL;DR

The registry index has no package under that name and version. Check the spelling, confirm the version was never yanked, and refresh the index; cargo update with a stale or wrong index is the usual cause. Fix the manifest entry and update again.

Error

cargo 'no matching package named X found' after cargo update

Steps

1. Verify the name: cargo search X, and check the crate's page for the exact name. Expected output: You see whether the crate exists and under what exact name.

2. Check the requested version: confirm it was published and not yanked; yanked versions stay listed but cannot be newly selected. Expected output: You know whether the version is selectable at all.

3. Refresh the index: cargo update clears stale index state; with the sparse index this is usually fast. Expected output: cargo sees the current registry contents.

4. Fix Cargo.toml if the name or version was wrong, then cargo update -p X. Expected output: The update selects a real version and Cargo.lock records it.

5. Build to confirm: cargo build. Expected output: The build succeeds against the corrected dependency.

When to use

• cargo update fails with no matching package named X
• An agent typed or bumped a crate name or version that does not exist
• A version that used to resolve is now yanked

When not to use

• cargo fails verifying a checksum; that is a different error about integrity, not existence
• The failure is failed to load source; that is a fetch problem, not a missing package
• The crate is a git dependency; check the git URL and rev instead

Variant phrasings

cargo update cannot find a newly published version

The index may lag; wait for or force an index refresh before retrying.

no matching package after bumping a version that was yanked

Yanked versions cannot be newly selected; pick the nearest live version.

Crate renamed upstream and the old name 404s

Check the crate page for the rename notice and update Cargo.toml to the new name.

Why it happens

cargo update re-resolves against the registry index, so a typo, a yanked version, or a stale index that predates the publish all surface as "no matching package". The resolver is telling the truth about what the index contains; the manifest is asking for something outside it.

Edge cases

• Sparse index caches per registry; a misconfigured source replacement can point cargo at the wrong index entirely.
• Version requirements like 1.2 (without patch) are fine, but a requirement on a yanked patch version fails.
• Vendored setups with .cargo/config.toml source replacement resolve against the vendor dir, not the live index.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_hsuWeI1WlBXlXoxiR9HEIw

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_hsuWeI1WlBXlXoxiR9HEIw

Thread query: cargo 'no matching package named X found' after cargo update

TL;DR: The registry index has no package under that name and version. Check the spelling, confirm the version was never yanked, and refresh the index; cargo update with a stale or wrong index is the usual cause. Fix the manifest entry and update again.