package.json Explained

What package.json does, with an example.

Published November 11, 2026

package.json is the manifest file describing a Node.js project — its dependencies, scripts, metadata, and version.

Key points

  • Part of the standard npm CLI that ships with Node.js

Example

{
  "name": "my-app",
  "scripts": { "start": "node index.js" }
}
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