Express.js Installation

This page walks through setting up a new Express project from scratch.

Check Node and npm are installed

Before you start, confirm Node.js and npm are available:

node -v
npm -v

If either command fails, install Node.js from nodejs.org . npm is bundled with Node.

Create the project folder and package.json

mkdir my-project
cd my-project
npm init -y

npm init -y creates a package.json file with default values. This file tracks your project’s dependencies and scripts.

Install Express

npm install express

This adds Express to dependencies in package.json and downloads it into node_modules/.

Install nodemon for development

Nodemon watches your files and restarts the server automatically whenever you save a change. Install it as a development dependency:

npm install -D nodemon

Add npm scripts

Open package.json and add start and dev scripts:

{
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node index.js",
    "dev": "nodemon index.js"
  }
}
  • npm start: runs the app with Node (for production or quick checks)
  • npm run dev: runs the app with nodemon (for development, auto-restarts on save)

Test with Postman

Postman is a desktop app for sending HTTP requests to your server. It lets you test GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE endpoints without building a frontend. Download the free version from their website.