Homebrew Tap Explained: Add Third-Party Repos
Learn what brew tap does and why install guides require it before brew install for third-party packages.
Install guides often start with brew tap but never explain why.
Prerequisites
- Homebrew installed
What Is a Tap?
A tap is a third-party Git repository containing Homebrew formulas or casks. Tapping a repo registers it so Homebrew can find and install its packages.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Formula | Package definition for CLI tools |
| Cask | Package definition for GUI apps |
| Tap | Third-party repo of formulas/casks |
| Core | Built-in homebrew/core and homebrew/cask repos |
Homebrew ships with homebrew/core and homebrew/cask by default. Tapping adds more repos to that search path.
Why Tap Before Install?
Homebrew searches built-in repos first, then tapped repos. Without the tap, brew install fails for packages not in the defaults.
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brew install --cask quotio
> Error: No available formula or cask with the name "quotio".
Add the tap first, then install:
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brew tap nguyenphutrong/tap
> ==> Tapping nguyenphutrong/tap
> Cloned into /opt/homebrew/Library/Taps/nguyenphutrong/homebrew-tap
brew install --cask quotio
> ==> Installing Cask quotio
> ==> Moving App 'Quotio.app' to '/Applications/Quotio.app'
When You Don’t Need It
Skip brew tap when the package is already in built-in repos:
- homebrew/core:
git,node,python,wget - homebrew/cask:
firefox,visual-studio-code,iterm2
Check availability before tapping:
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brew search iterm2
> ==> Casks
> iterm2
If brew search finds it, install directly without tapping.
Practical Example
Install Quotio (a menu bar quote app) from a third-party tap:
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brew tap nguyenphutrong/tap
> ==> Tapping nguyenphutrong/tap
> Cloned into /opt/homebrew/Library/Taps/nguyenphutrong/homebrew-tap
brew install --cask quotio
> ==> Downloading https://github.com/nicktranq/quotio/releases/download/v1.0.0/Quotio.dmg
> ==> Installing Cask quotio
> quotio was successfully installed!
Common Commands
| Command | Action |
|---|---|
brew tap | List all tapped repos |
brew tap user/repo | Add a third-party repo |
brew untap user/repo | Remove a tapped repo |
brew tap-info user/repo | Show tap details and formula count |
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brew tap
> homebrew/cask
> homebrew/core
> nguyenphutrong/tap
brew tap-info nguyenphutrong/tap
> nguyenphutrong/tap: 1 cask
> /opt/homebrew/Library/Taps/nguyenphutrong/homebrew-tap (6 files, 12.5KB)
> From: https://github.com/nguyenphutrong/homebrew-tap
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