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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/nodejs/node/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Build fast, scalable network applications

Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment that executes JavaScript code outside a web browser. Built on Chrome’s V8 engine, it enables developers to build server-side and networking applications.

Get StartedExplore API Reference

Quick Start

Get Node.js up and running in minutes

1

Install Node.js

Download and install Node.js from the official website or use a version manager like nvm:
# Using nvm (recommended)
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash
nvm install --lts
nvm use --lts
Verify the installation:
node --version
npm --version
2

Create your first application

Create a new file called app.js:
const http = require('http');

const hostname = '127.0.0.1';
const port = 3000;

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
  res.statusCode = 200;
  res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain');
  res.end('Hello World\n');
});

server.listen(port, hostname, () => {
  console.log(`Server running at http://${hostname}:${port}/`);
});
3

Run your application

Execute your Node.js application:
node app.js
Open your browser and navigate to http://127.0.0.1:3000/ to see your application running.
4

Explore the ecosystem

Node.js has a rich ecosystem of packages available through npm. Initialize a new project and install packages:
npm init -y
npm install express
Learn more about modules and packages in the API reference.

Explore by Topic

Dive into the core features and APIs that make Node.js powerful

Core Concepts

Understand the event loop, non-blocking I/O, and the architecture that powers Node.js

HTTP & Networking

Build web servers, make HTTP requests, and work with TCP, UDP, and DNS

File System

Read, write, and manipulate files and directories with the fs module

Async Programming

Master callbacks, promises, async/await, and event-driven patterns

Worker Threads

Execute JavaScript in parallel using worker threads for CPU-intensive tasks

Security

Learn best practices for building secure Node.js applications

Key Features

What makes Node.js the runtime of choice for millions of developers

Blazing Fast Performance

Built on Chrome’s V8 JavaScript engine, Node.js compiles JavaScript directly to native machine code for exceptional speed and performance.

Event-Driven Architecture

Non-blocking I/O and asynchronous event-driven architecture make Node.js ideal for data-intensive real-time applications.

Cross-Platform Support

Write once, run anywhere. Node.js runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, and more with consistent APIs across platforms.

Rich Ecosystem

Access over 2 million packages through npm, the world’s largest software registry, to accelerate your development.

API Reference

Comprehensive documentation for all Node.js built-in modules

HTTP & HTTPS

Create web servers and make HTTP requests

File System

Synchronous and asynchronous file operations

Crypto

Cryptographic functionality including OpenSSL

Stream

Streaming data interfaces for I/O operations

Child Process

Spawn and manage child processes

Events

Event emitter and event-driven programming

Ready to build with Node.js?

Start building fast, scalable network applications today with the JavaScript runtime trusted by millions of developers worldwide.

Get StartedContribute to Node.js