npx: command not found — how to fix

bash: npx: command not found
zsh: command not found: npx
'npx' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

Quick fix: Check node -v and npm -v. If npm works, run npm install -g npm (npx ships with npm 7+) or use npm exec -- <pkg>. If Node is missing, install it with nvm (nvm install --lts) or the NodeSource/official installer, not the old distro package. With nvm, open a new shell or run source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh.

What it means

npx is a command-line tool bundled with npm (since npm 5.2; in npm 7+ it's a wrapper around npm exec). It lives in the same directory as node and npm. "command not found" means that directory isn't on your PATH, or npx was never installed.

Start by checking what does exist:

which node npm npx
node -v
npm -v
echo $PATH

Cause 1: Node.js isn't installed

Install a current LTS. With nvm (Linux/macOS, no sudo needed):

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.1/install.sh | bash
source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh
nvm install --lts
npx --version

On Windows, use the installer from nodejs.org (leave "Add to PATH" checked) or winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS, then open a new terminal.

On macOS with Homebrew: brew install node.

Cause 2: Debian/Ubuntu's nodejs package without npm

sudo apt install nodejs from the distro repos installs Node but not npm/npx (and is often an old version). Either install the separate package:

sudo apt install npm

or, better, remove it and use nvm or NodeSource's packages, which include npm and npx.

Cause 3: nvm isn't loaded in this shell

nvm works by modifying PATH from your shell startup file. In a new terminal that didn't load it, or a non-interactive script, node and npx vanish:

source ~/.nvm/nvm.sh
nvm use --lts
nvm alias default 'lts/*'     # so new shells get a version automatically

Make sure ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc contains the lines the nvm installer added. Scripts run by cron, systemd or sudo don't read those files; use full paths (~/.nvm/versions/node/v22.x.x/bin/npx) or source nvm.sh in the script.

sudo npx ... fails for the same reason: sudo resets PATH. Avoid sudo with npx; if you must, sudo env "PATH=$PATH" npx ....

Cause 4: npm is very old, or npx was removed

Old npm versions (< 5.2) have no npx. Update npm itself:

npm install -g npm@latest

If npm works but npx doesn't, you can always use the equivalent:

npm exec -- create-vite@latest my-app
# same as: npx create-vite@latest my-app

Cause 5: Windows PATH or IDE terminal

After installing Node on Windows, already-open terminals and VS Code keep the old PATH. Close and reopen them (restart VS Code fully). Check that C:\Program Files\nodejs\ is in your PATH (System Properties -> Environment Variables). In PowerShell, if you get npx.ps1 cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled, run Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser RemoteSigned or call npx.cmd.

Cause 6: CI and Docker images

Images like alpine or python don't include Node. Use a node:22 image, or in GitHub Actions add actions/setup-node before steps that call npx.

Last updated 2026-11-01.