# Running and debugging Node.js > **TL;DR** > Required plugins: > > > > `JavaScript and TypeScript` -  the plugin is bundled with IntelliJ IDEA and enabled by default. > > > > `JavaScript Debugger`, `Node.js` -  install the plugins on the Settings | Plugins page, tab Marketplace. The plugins are available only in IntelliJ IDEA with the Ultimate subscription. IntelliJ IDEA helps you run and debug your Node.js applications. You can debug applications that are started from IntelliJ IDEA as well as attach to already running applications. ## Before you start Procedure: 1. Make sure the JavaScript and TypeScript plugin is enabled in the settings. Press `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Windows), `⌘ Comma` (macOS), `⌘ Comma` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ Comma` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ Comma` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ Comma` (Eclipse (macOS)) to open settings and then select `Plugins`. Click the Installed tab. In the search field, type JavaScript and TypeScript. For more information about plugins, refer to [Managing plugins](managing-plugins.html). 2. Install the Node.js and JavaScript Debugger plugins on the Settings | Plugins page, tab Marketplace, as described in [Installing plugins from JetBrains Marketplace](managing-plugins.html#install_plugin_from_repo). The plugins are available only in IntelliJ IDEA with the Ultimate subscription. ## Run a Node.js application IntelliJ IDEA runs Node.js applications according to a run configuration of the type Node.js. IntelliJ IDEA also uses this configuration to [start the debugger together with Node.js applications](#debugLocal). Procedure: Create a Node.js run/debug configuration 1. Go to `Run | Edit Configurations`. Alternatively, select Edit Configurations from the Run widget on the toolbar. ![Open the Edit Configurations dialog](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/ws_node_run_config_create.png) In the Edit Configurations dialog that opens, click the Add button (![the Add button](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg)) on the toolbar and select Node.js from the list. The [Run/Debug Configuration: Node.js](run-debug-configuration-node-js.html) dialog opens. 2. Specify the Node.js runtime to use. If you choose the Project alias, IntelliJ IDEA will automatically use the project default interpreter from the Node runtime field on the [JavaScript Runtime](javascript-runtime.html) page . In most cases, IntelliJ IDEA detects the project default runtime and fills in the field itself. You can also choose another configured local or remote interpreter or click ![the Browse button](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.general.ellipsis.svg) and configure a new one. 3. In the File field, specify the path to the main file of the application that starts it (for example, `bin/www` for [Express](http://expressjs.com/) applications). 4. Optionally: * Specify the Node parameters that customize the start of Node.js. For example, you may want to enable an experimental Node.js feature or pass another option. For more information, refer to the [Node.js official website](https://nodejs.org/api/cli.html). * In the Application parameters field, specify the Node.js-specific arguments to be passed to the application on start through the [process.argv](http://nodejs.org/docs/latest/api/process.html#process.argv) array. * To open the application in the browser automatically, configure a before-launch task. Click ![](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.general.arrowRight.svg) to expand the Before launch area, click ![the Add button](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg), and select Launch Web Browser from the list. In the dialog that opens, specify the URL of the application starting page, for example, `localhost:3000` for Express applications, and the browser to use. ![Before-launch task: open browser](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/ws_node_run_configuration_open_browser_before_launch_task.png) Procedure: Run an application * [Create a run/debug configuration as described above](#Node.js_run) or modify an existing one and click Run in the dialog. * Alternatively, select the newly created run configuration from the list on the main toolbar and click ![the Run button](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.run.run.svg). ![Start an app with a run/debug configuration](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/ws_node_run_app_with_rc.png) The application starts, and the [Run tool window](run-tool-window.html) opens showing the application output. If you are using a logging tool like [morgan](https://www.npmjs.com/package/morgan) in your application and this tool writes logs to a file, you can see these logs in the Console tab of the Run tool window. Procedure: Manage logs when running a Node.js application 1. Create a Node.js run/debug configuration [as described above](#Node.js_run) and go to the Logs tab. 2. Click ![the Add button](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg) next to the Log files to be shown in console field which lists the available log files (if any). 3. In the Edit Log Files Aliases dialog that opens, type the alias name to show in the list of log entries and specify the location of the log file. Select whether you want to show all files that this pattern covers or only the last one. 4. Click OK to return to Node.js Run/Debug Configuration dialog, where the new log file is added to the list. Select the Is Active checkbox next to it. To skip the previous content, select the Skip Content checkbox. 5. Optionally: * To enable saving the Process Console output to a log file, select the Save console output to file checkbox and specify the file location. * Choose when you want the Process Console shown. ## Debug a Node.js application IntelliJ IDEA makes it easier to debug Node.js applications. You can put breakpoints right in your JavaScript or TypeScript code so you no longer need any `debugger` and `console.log()` statements. You can do many things that will help you explore the code and understand where the bug is. In the Debug tool window, you can view the call stack and the variables in their current state, evaluate expressions in the editor, and step through the code. You can initiate a debugging session in two ways: * Start the debugger together with your application using a Node.js run/debug configuration. * Attach the debugger to an already running application. In this case, your application is already running in the [debug mode](https://nodejs.org/en/docs/guides/debugging-getting-started/) and IntelliJ IDEA attaches to a running process. IntelliJ IDEA recognizes `--inspect`, `--inspect-brk`, and now deprecated `--debug` flags so you can make any application accessible for debugging. To debug a running application, use an Attach to Node.js/Chrome configuration. With IntelliJ IDEA, you can also debug Node.js applications that are running in [Vagrant boxes](vagrant-support.html), in [Docker containers](docker.html), or on remote hosts accessible via [various transfer protocols](configuring-synchronization-with-a-remote-host.html) or via SSH. ### Start the debugger together with a Node.js application on your computer ![Start and debug a Node.js Express app](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/ws_node_debug-local.animated.gif) Procedure: 1. Set the [breakpoints](using-breakpoints.html) in the code where necessary. 2. Create a Node.js run/debug configuration [as described above](#Node.js_run). To open the application in the browser automatically, configure a before-launch task. Click ![](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.general.arrowRight.svg) to expand the Before launch area, click ![the Add button](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg), and select Launch Web Browser from the list. In the dialog that opens, specify the URL of the application starting page, for example, `localhost:3000` for Express applications, and the browser to use. ![Before-launch task: open browser](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/ws_node_run_configuration_open_browser_before_launch_task.png) > **Tip:** > If necessary, IntelliJ IDEA can generate a JavaScript Debug configuration and start it automatically together with the Node.js configuration as described in [Debugging the server- and the client-side code](node-debug-server-client.html). 3. From the Run widget list on the toolbar, select the newly created Node.js configuration and click ![the Debug button](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.run.debug.svg) next to it. ![Start a Node.js debugging session with a run/debug configuration](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/ws_node_debug_app_with_rc.png) The [Debug tool window](debug-tool-window.html) opens. 4. Perform the steps that will trigger the execution of the code with the breakpoints. For example, navigate from the starting page of your application to another page in the browser. 5. Switch to IntelliJ IDEA, where the controls of the Debug tool window are now enabled. Proceed with the debugging session — [step through the breakpoints](stepping-through-the-program.html), switch between frames, change values on-the-fly, [examine a suspended program](examining-suspended-program.html), [evaluate expressions](examining-suspended-program.html#evaluating-expressions), and [set watches](examining-suspended-program.html#watches). ### Debug a running Node.js application With IntelliJ IDEA, you can debug an application that is already running in the development mode, which means that the application was launched with the `--inspect` or `--inspect -brk` flag. A debugging session is initiated through an Attach to Node.js/Chrome configuration and uses the [Chrome Debugging Protocol](https://nodejs.org/api/debugger.html#debugger_v8_inspector_integration_for_node_js). #### Start the debugger from the Run or Debug tool window or from the built-in Terminal If an application was started with the `--inspect` or `--inspect-brk` flag, you can start a debugging session from the built-in Terminal, from the Run tool window, or from the Debug tool window. ![Attach the debugger to a running app from the Run tool windowl](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/ws_node_debug_attach_from_run_tw.animated.gif) Procedure: 1. Set the [breakpoints](using-breakpoints.html) as necessary. 2. Run your application with an `--inspect` or `--inspect-brk` flag. You can do that in several ways, for example: * In your `package.json`, click ![the Run button](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app-client.expui.run.run.svg) in the gutter next to the script with the `--inspect` or `--inspect -brk` flag and select Run '