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Node.js API: JavaScript on the server side

Node.js runs JavaScript outside the browser, making it perfect for building APIs, backend services, and command-line tools.

Overview

Node.js brought JavaScript to the server in 2009, letting developers use one language for both frontend and backend. The Vibe Studio Node.js template includes Express — the most popular web framework — pre-configured with example routes, JSON handling, and an in-memory data store to get you building immediately.

Core concepts

Express routes: Define endpoints like GET /users or POST /items. Each route is a function that receives a request and sends a response. Middleware: Functions that run before your route handlers. express.json() parses incoming JSON bodies automatically. Request & Response: req contains the incoming data (body, params, query); res is used to send data back to the client. npm packages: Node.js has the world's largest package registry. Add any library with a line in package.json.

When to use Node.js API

Building a REST or GraphQL API Your team already knows JavaScript You want a large ecosystem of ready-made packages

Quick-start tip

Run the server and try opening the API endpoints in the Preview tab. Add a new route with `app.get('/hello', ...)` to see how routing works.