yarn: error Couldn't find any versions for \"left-pad\" that matches \"^2.0.0\" in our cache"

TL;DR: This error almost always means the requested version range matches no published version, not that the cache is broken. left-pad's latest release is 1.3.0, so ^2.0.0 can never resolve, online or offline. Change the range to ^1.3.0 in package.json and install again. If you genuinely need offline installs, populate the cache once while online and commit it.

The error

"yarn: error Couldn't find any versions for \"left-pad\" that matches \"^2.0.0\" in our cache"

Steps to fix

1. Confirm the range is impossible: yarn npm info left-pad versions (yarn berry) or npm view left-pad versions, and check whether any 2.x exists. Expected: The newest version listed is 1.3.0, proving ^2.0.0 matches nothing on the registry.

2. Fix package.json: change the left-pad entry to ^1.3.0 (or the exact 1.3.0) and save. Expected: The dependency line now points at a version that exists.

3. Run yarn install (online, no --offline flag). Expected: Yarn resolves left-pad at 1.3.0, writes the lockfile entry, and install completes.

4. If this machine must install offline later: with the fixed range installed, commit the populated cache (.yarn/cache for berry with zero-installs, or the yarn-offline-mirror folder for yarn classic). Expected: A later yarn install --offline succeeds because the tarball for 1.3.0 is now in the committed cache.

Use this when

• yarn install fails with Could not find any versions that matches in our cache after a version bump
• A CI job installs with --offline or a committed cache and a dependency range was edited by hand
• You suspect someone typed a version range for a package version that was never published

Not for this skill when

• Network errors reaching the registry (ENOTFOUND, ECONNRESET), which are connectivity problems
• Lockfile checksum mismatches, which mean the cache is stale relative to the lockfile
• npm ERESOLVE peer-dependency errors, which are a different failure mode

Variant phrasings

• yarn offline mirror missing tarball
• yarn berry zero-installs cache does not contain package
• Could not find any versions for package that matches range

Why it happens

Yarn's offline and cache-restricted modes only consult versions already present locally. But the deeper cause here is that the range itself is unsatisfiable: left-pad is a famous tiny package whose latest release has been 1.3.0 for years, so ^2.0.0 matches zero published versions. The cache message is a red herring; even the public registry cannot satisfy that range. Fixing the range fixes both online and offline installs.

Edge cases

• If you actually need a newer left-pad-like utility, the package is deprecated; consider removing it in favor of String.prototype.padStart.
• Yarn classic reads the offline mirror path from .yarnrc (yarn-offline-mirror); make sure the committed tarballs match the lockfile after any range change.
• Do not hand-edit the range in yarn.lock; change package.json and let yarn regenerate the entry.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_V-QLWgIvU3DDNjIsbe5YYA

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_V-QLWgIvU3DDNjIsbe5YYA

Thread query: "yarn: error Couldn't find any versions for \"left-pad\" that matches \"^2.0.0\" in our cache"

TL;DR: