Detect and Resolve Maven Dependency Conflicts in Java Projects

View the Maven dependency tree

IDEA built‑in Maven tool : Open the Maven tool window (Alt+Shift+M → View → Tool Windows → Maven), expand the Dependencies node and inspect the tree. Conflicted versions are highlighted in gray or red; hovering shows the originating dependency.

Command line : Run mvn dependency:tree in the project root. Example output:

[INFO] org.example:dependency-test:jar:1.0-SNAPSHOT
[INFO] +- org.springframework:spring-webmvc:jar:6.0.9:compile
[INFO] |  +- org.springframework:spring-beans:jar:6.0.9:compile
[INFO] |  +- org.springframework:spring-context:jar:6.0.9:compile
[INFO] |  +- org.springframework:spring-core:jar:6.0.9:compile
[INFO] |  |  \- org.springframework:spring-jcl:jar:6.0.9:compile
[INFO] |  +- org.springframework:spring-expression:jar:6.0.9:compile
[INFO] |  \- org.springframework:spring-web:jar:6.0.9:compile
[INFO] \- org.springframework:spring-aop:jar:5.3.23:compile

Use mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.springframework to filter large trees.

Maven Helper plugin (recommended) : Install the "Maven Helper" plugin, open pom.xml and switch to the Dependency Analyzer tab. It visualises the tree, highlights conflicts and allows one‑click exclusion.

Identify conflicting JARs

Search the dependency tree for the same groupId:artifactId appearing with different versions, e.g.:

org.springframework:spring-beans:6.0.9
org.springframework:spring-beans:5.3.23 (omitted for conflict)

Maven selects the version that is nearest to the project in the tree and omits the others. If the selected version is not the desired one, manual intervention is required.

Resolve conflicts

Locate the upstream dependency that brings the unwanted version and add an exclusion in pom.xml:

<dependency>
  <groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
  <artifactId>spring-webmvc</artifactId>
  <version>6.0.9</version>
  <exclusions>
    <exclusion>
      <groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
      <artifactId>spring-beans</artifactId>
    </exclusion>
  </exclusions>
</dependency>

If only the version differs, enforce the desired version via dependencyManagement:

<dependencyManagement>
  <dependencies>
    <dependency>
      <groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
      <artifactId>spring-beans</artifactId>
      <version>5.3.23</version>
    </dependency>
  </dependencies>
</dependencyManagement>

Summary

View the dependency tree quickly – use IDEA's Maven view or run mvn dependency:tree.

Detect conflicts efficiently – the Maven Helper plugin visualises conflicts and supports one‑click exclusion.

Resolve conflicts – apply exclusion to drop unwanted artifacts or use dependencyManagement to lock the required version.