Node.js / Build Tools

vite: command not found

Covers: sh vite command not found · sh: tailwind: command not found · vite command not found — May 2026

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$ vite
bash: vite: command not found

# or in package.json scripts:
sh: vite: command not found

Why Does This Happen?

Vite is almost always installed locally (inside node_modules/.bin/) rather than globally. When you type vite directly in the terminal, your shell looks in PATH — but node_modules/.bin is not in PATH by default.

The correct way to run locally-installed CLI tools is via npx, or by defining them in package.json scripts (which npm/pnpm/yarn run from node_modules/.bin automatically).

⚡ Quick Fix — Run via npx

# Run vite with npx (uses local install):
npx vite

# Or start dev server:
npx vite dev

# Build for production:
npx vite build

Correct Fix: Use package.json Scripts

The proper setup is to define scripts in package.json. npm/pnpm/yarn automatically use the local node_modules/.bin when running scripts:

{
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "vite",
    "build": "vite build",
    "preview": "vite preview"
  }
}

# Then run:
npm run dev
pnpm dev
yarn dev

Vite Not Installed At All

# Install vite as a dev dependency:
npm install -D vite

# Or with pnpm:
pnpm add -D vite

# Or with yarn:
yarn add -D vite

Install Vite Globally (not recommended for projects)

# Global install — only do this if you need vite as a standalone CLI:
npm install -g vite

# Verify:
vite --version

Same Fix for Tailwind CSS: sh tailwind command not found

The exact same pattern applies to Tailwind CSS. tailwind is a locally-installed binary — use npx tailwindcss or define it in package.json scripts:

# Instead of:
tailwindcss init -p   # ❌ fails

# Use:
npx tailwindcss init -p   # ✅ works

# Or in package.json:
"build:css": "tailwindcss -i input.css -o output.css"