# Node.js: Debug a Server Application With --inspect

> Debug a Node.js server application using the built-in --inspect flag with Chrome DevTools, VS Code, or WebStorm, or run the CLI-based node inspect debugger

**URL:** https://sentry.io/answers/debug-a-node-js-server-application/

---

## The problem

How do I debug a Node.js server application?

## The solution

Node.js contains a [built-in debugger](https://nodejs.org/learn/getting-started/debugging) that can interface with Chromium-based web browsers and popular IDEs such as [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/) and [JetBrains WebStorm](https://www.jetbrains.com/webstorm/). Start the debugger by supplying the `--inspect` flag when running your server code.

```sh
node --inspect myApp.js
```

This will start a debugging server on `127.0.0.1:9229`. Follow the [official instructions](https://nodejs.org/learn/getting-started/debugging#inspector-clients) to connect to the server with your favourite browser or IDE.

If you do not want to debug through a browser or editor, you can use Node.js's simple CLI-based debugger by running `node inspect`:

```sh
node inspect myApp.js
```

Type `help` for a list of debugging commands.

---

*Source: [sentry.io/answers/debug-a-node-js-server-application/](https://sentry.io/answers/debug-a-node-js-server-application/)*