How to fix npm WARN engine package@version: wanted: {"node":">=16"} (current: {"node":"14.17.0"}) in npm | DevErrors

How to fix "npm WARN engine package@version: wanted: {"node":">=16"} (current: {"node":"14.17.0"})"

1Check current Node.js version

Identify your version:

bash

node --version
# Example output: v14.17.0

npm --version

Compare with the warning message to see what version is required.

2Upgrade Node.js using nvm

Use Node Version Manager for easy upgrades:

bash

# Install nvm (if not installed)
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc

# Install required version
nvm install 20
nvm use 20

# Make it default
nvm alias default 20

# Verify
node --version

3Create .nvmrc for team consistency

Pin Node.js version for your project:

bash

echo "20" > .nvmrc

Team members can then run:

bash

nvm use
# Automatically uses version from .nvmrc

4Enable strict engine checking (optional)

To make engine mismatches fail instead of warn:

Create/edit .npmrc:

bash

engine-strict=true

Now npm will error on version mismatches instead of just warning.

5Update CI/CD configuration

Ensure CI uses the correct Node version:

GitHub Actions:

yaml

- uses: actions/setup-node@v4
  with:
    node-version-file: '.nvmrc'

Docker:

dockerfile

FROM node:20-alpine

Advanced notes

When to ignore engine warnings vs upgrade:

Upgrade if:
- Package uses language features not in your Node version
- You're deploying to production
- Security patches require newer Node

Can ignore temporarily if:
- Only affects development dependencies
- You're prototyping/learning
- Package actually works despite the warning

Add engines to your own package.json to communicate requirements:

json

{
  "engines": {
    "node": ">=18.0.0 <21.0.0"
  }
}

How to fix npm WARN engine package@version: wanted: {"node":">=16"} (current: {"node":"14.17.0"}) in npm

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How to fix "npm WARN engine package@version: wanted: {"node":">=16"} (current: {"node":"14.17.0"})"

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