How to solve cannot find module 'express' in Node.js

In this tutorial, we are going to learn about how to solve the cannot find module ‘express’ error in Node.js.

This error occurs due to the following reasons:

1. The express module is not installed in the correct project folder.

2. Using the module without installing it in the project.

3. Installed in a global context and trying to access in project local context.

To solve the error, open the project root folder in your terminal and run the following command to install the express module.

npm install express

If you want to install a particular version of ‘express’ use the following command.

npm install express@4.18.1

If you’re still facing the error, then follow the below steps to resolve it.

1. Remove the node_modules folder and package-lock.json file, inside your project directory by using the below command.

rm-rf node_modules package-lock.json

or you can remove it manually by right-clicking on it and select the delete option.

2. Clear the npm cache.

npm clean cache --force

3. Re-install the node modules again by running the npm install command.

Verify now if you’ve installed it correctly or not by opening the package.json file and check for express module in the dependencies object.

 "dependencies": {
     //...
    "express": "^4.18.1",

    //.. other packages
 }

Conclusion

The can’t find module express error occurs, if you’re trying to access a express module that is not present inside your node_modules folder. To solve the error install the express module in your project root directory by running the npm install express command.

If you don’t have a package.json file inside your project, then initialize it by using npm init -y.