How to fix npm ERR! code EBADDEVENGINES npm ERR! devEngines incompatible in npm

npmINTERMEDIATEMEDIUM

EBADDEVENGINES occurs when your development environment doesn't match the requirements specified in a package's devEngines field. Update your Node.js or npm version to match the project requirements.

What this error means

The EBADDEVENGINES error occurs when npm detects that your current development environment (Node.js version, npm version, or package manager) doesn't match the requirements specified in the `devEngines` field of a package's package.json. The `devEngines` field is a newer npm feature that allows package authors to enforce specific development tools and versions for contributors. This error is stricter than a warning and indicates a version mismatch that npm considers incompatible. The `devEngines` field supports constraints for the runtime (Node.js), package manager (npm/pnpm/yarn), OS, CPU architecture, and libc version.

How to fix "npm ERR! code EBADDEVENGINES npm ERR! devEngines incompatible"

1Check your current Node.js and npm versions

First, identify what versions you're currently running:

bash

node --version
npm --version

Then check what the project requires by looking at package.json:

bash

grep -A 10 'devEngines' package.json

Compare your versions with the requirements.

2Update npm to match project requirements

If your npm version is outdated, update it globally:

bash

npm install -g [email protected]

Or use a version range that matches the project:

bash

npm install -g npm@^10.9.0

Verify the update:

bash

npm --version

3Update Node.js using a version manager

Use a Node version manager like nvm to switch to the required Node version:

bash

# Using nvm
nvm install 22.0.0
nvm use 22.0.0

# Using fnm
fnm install 22.0.0
fnm use 22.0.0

Create or update a .nvmrc file to lock the version for your team:

bash

echo '22.0.0' > .nvmrc

4Clear npm cache and reinstall dependencies

After updating your tools, perform a clean install:

bash

# Remove node_modules and lock files
rm -rf node_modules
rm -f package-lock.json

# Clear npm cache
npm cache clean --force

# Reinstall dependencies
npm install

5If the problem persists, adjust devEngines constraints

If you can modify the project's package.json, consider making devEngines more flexible:

Before (too strict):

json

{
  "devEngines": {
    "packageManager": {
      "name": "npm",
      "version": "10.9.0",
      "onFail": "error"
    }
  }
}

After (uses semver ranges):

json

{
  "devEngines": {
    "packageManager": {
      "name": "npm",
      "version": "^10.9.0",
      "onFail": "warn"
    }
  }
}

Change onFail from error to warn to make the check non-blocking.

6Verify compatibility with your CI/CD environment

If the error only occurs in CI/CD pipelines, update your CI configuration. For GitHub Actions:

yaml

steps:
  - uses: actions/checkout@v4
  - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
    with:
      node-version: '22'
      cache: 'npm'
  - run: npm install

Ensure CI installs the Node and npm versions specified in devEngines.

How to fix npm ERR! code EBADDEVENGINES npm ERR! devEngines incompatible in npm

What this error means

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How to fix "npm ERR! code EBADDEVENGINES npm ERR! devEngines incompatible"

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