EUNKNOWNCOMMAND occurs when you run an npm command that doesn't exist or is misspelled. Check your command spelling and verify the command exists in npm documentation.
The npm EUNKNOWNCOMMAND error occurs when you attempt to run an npm command that doesn't exist or isn't recognized by npm. This typically happens when you either mistype an npm command (such as 'npm isntall' instead of 'npm install') or attempt to run a script name that hasn't been defined in your package.json file. npm includes built-in typo detection using the Levenshtein distance algorithm, but it can only suggest corrections for commands it recognizes - if the misspelling is too different, it will throw this EUNKNOWNCOMMAND error instead.
Review the error message carefully to identify what command npm didn't recognize. Look for common typos:
# Wrong - common typos
npm isntall
npm urn start
npm ser start
# Correct
npm install
npm run start
npm ciThe error message will show you exactly what command was unrecognized.
Check the official npm documentation or run npm help to see all available commands:
# List all npm commands
npm help
# Get help for a specific command
npm install --help
npm run --helpCommon npm commands include: install, ci, start, run, test, build, publish, login, logout, and list.
If you're using npm run <script>, ensure the script name exists in your package.json file:
{
"scripts": {
"start": "node server.js",
"dev": "next dev",
"build": "next build",
"test": "jest"
}
}Run npm run without arguments to see all available scripts:
npm runIf your npm script runs successfully but the underlying command fails, check for typos inside the script definition:
{
"scripts": {
"dev": "nodmon server.js" // Wrong - typo in nodemon
}
}Should be:
{
"scripts": {
"dev": "nodemon server.js" // Correct
}
}Check your npm version to ensure you're using commands compatible with your version:
npm --versionIf you're using an older version of npm, some commands might not be available. Update npm if needed:
npm install -g npm@latestIf you've verified the command is correct but npm still doesn't recognize it, your npm installation might be corrupted. Reinstall Node.js and npm:
# Clear npm cache
npm cache clean --force
# On macOS with Homebrew
brew install node
brew link --overwrite node
# Or reinstall Node.js from https://nodejs.orgAfter reinstalling, verify:
node --version
npm --versionnpm uses the Levenshtein distance algorithm to suggest corrections for common typos. If your misspelling is within a certain edit distance of a known command, npm will suggest the correct command rather than throwing EUNKNOWNCOMMAND. However, if the typo is too different, no suggestion is provided. For developers managing multiple Node.js versions, using nvm is recommended, as it prevents version conflicts and ensures consistent npm behavior across projects.
npm ERR! code ENOAUDIT npm ERR! Audit endpoint not supported
How to fix "npm ERR! code ENOAUDIT - Audit endpoint not supported"
npm ERR! code EBADDEVENGINES npm ERR! devEngines.runtime incompatible with current node version
How to fix "npm ERR! code EBADDEVENGINES - devEngines.runtime incompatible with current node version"
npm ERR! code ETOOMANYARGS npm ERR! Too many arguments
How to fix "npm ERR! code ETOOMANYARGS - Too many arguments"
npm ERR! code EINVALIDTAGNAME npm ERR! Invalid tag name: tag names cannot contain spaces
How to fix "npm ERR! code EINVALIDTAGNAME - tag names cannot contain spaces"
npm ERR! code E400 npm ERR! 400 Bad Request
How to fix "npm ERR! code E400 - 400 Bad Request" error