Why You Need This

Node.js lets your computer run JavaScript outside of a web browser. Claude Code runs on Node.js, and the prospecting tool you'll build does too. Without it, nothing else works.

Installation

Mac:

  1. Go to https://nodejs.org
  2. Click the green LTS button (LTS = Long Term Support, the stable version)
  3. Open the downloaded file and follow the installer

Windows:

  1. Go to https://nodejs.org
  2. Click the green LTS button
  3. Run the downloaded installer, accept all defaults

Verify it worked

Open Terminal (Mac) or PowerShell (Windows) and run:

node --version

✓ Success looks like: You see a version number like v20.11.0 or similar.

Troubleshooting