Built-in APIs

What actually makes a module "built-in" to Node, how Node organizes and stabilizes those APIs, and why the standard library increasingly mirrors Web Platform APIs - the mental model behind every other page in this section.

Explore 8 Node.js built-in API examples, covering node: prefix imports, async file reading with fs/promises, and portable path handling.

Learn to differentiate Node.js path for filesystem paths and url for parsing and resolving URLs, preventing common bugs and security issues.

Learn to schedule macrotasks with Node.js timers. Use setTimeout, setInterval, and timers/promises for retries, debouncing, and polling.

Learn to read, write, and stream files using Node.js fs and fs/promises for async operations, security, and scalability.

Learn how node:util bridges callbacks to Promises, formats objects for logs, and provides debugging helpers in Node.js.

Learn to use Node.js crypto APIs for hashing, HMAC, random bytes, and ciphers to secure tokens, verify webhooks, and encrypt data.

Access Node.js host and process information. Learn to retrieve CPU, memory, hostname, and runtime details for diagnostics and environment configuration.

Prioritize Node.js built-in modules and promise APIs over npm packages. Learn to secure filesystem operations and manage dependencies effectively.

A single-page roundup of every highlight bullet from the 9 pages in the Built-in APIs section, grouped by source page so you can scan all 36 takeaways without opening each article individually.