How to fix npm ERR! Missing script: "test" in npm | DevErrors

How to fix "npm ERR! Missing script: "test""

1Add a test script to package.json

Open package.json and add a test script:

For Jest:

json

{
  "scripts": {
    "test": "jest"
  }
}

For Vitest:

json

{
  "scripts": {
    "test": "vitest"
  }
}

For Mocha:

json

{
  "scripts": {
    "test": "mocha"
  }
}

2Add placeholder if no tests exist yet

If your project doesn't have tests yet, add a placeholder:

json

{
  "scripts": {
    "test": "echo \"No tests specified\" && exit 0"
  }
}

This allows npm test to pass without failing. Replace with actual test command when ready.

3Verify you are in the correct directory

Ensure you're running npm from the project root:

bash

# Check current directory
pwd

# Verify package.json exists
ls package.json

# Check what scripts are defined
npm run

Navigate to the correct directory if needed.

4Check for duplicate scripts objects

Ensure package.json has only one scripts section:

Incorrect (second overrides first):

json

{
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node index.js",
    "test": "jest"
  },
  "scripts": {
    "build": "webpack"
  }
}

Correct:

json

{
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node index.js",
    "test": "jest",
    "build": "webpack"
  }
}

5Update CI/CD workflow if tests not needed

If your project doesn't need tests, remove npm test from CI:

GitHub Actions example:

yaml

# Remove or comment out:
# - run: npm test

# Or make it conditional:
- run: npm test --if-present

The --if-present flag runs the script only if it exists.

6Run test framework directly

As a workaround, run your test framework directly:

bash

# Using npx (no script needed)
npx jest
npx vitest
npx mocha

# Or if globally installed
jest
vitest

Advanced notes

When using git hooks with Husky, the pre-commit hook often runs npm test. If you don't have tests, either add a placeholder script or modify .husky/pre-commit to remove the npm test command.

For projects that will never have tests (rare but possible), consider adding a test script that explicitly exits successfully to prevent CI/CD failures:

json

"test": "echo 'Tests not implemented' && exit 0"

In monorepos, each workspace package needs its own test script if the root runs tests across all packages.

How to fix npm ERR! Missing script: "test" in npm

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How to fix "npm ERR! Missing script: "test""

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