How to Download and Install Node-RED on Windows
Node-RED is a programming tool for wiring together hardware devices, APIs, and online services in new and interesting ways. It provides a browser-based editor that makes it easy to create flows using the wide range of nodes in the palette. In this article, you will learn how to download and install Node-RED on Windows, as well as how to use it for various applications.
What is Node-RED and why use it?
Node-RED is a free open source logic engine that allows programmers of any level to interconnect IoT, cloud-based systems, web services, databases, APIs, and more. It is built on Node.js, a JavaScript runtime that boasts the largest ecosystem of open source components in the world. Here are some reasons why it is awesome to use:
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Node-RED enables users to stitch together web services and hardware by replacing common low-level coding tasks with a visual drag-drop interface.
Node-REDs power lies in its ease of use. You can create complex applications with minimal coding, using nodes that have predefined functionality and configuration.
Node-RED supports browser-based flow editing, which means you can access and edit your flows from anywhere using a web browser.
Node-RED has an active community and a rich library of nodes and flows that cover many common use cases. You can also create and publish your own nodes to extend the palette.
Node-RED features and benefits
Some of the main features of Node-RED are:
FeatureDescription
Flow editorA browser-based editor that lets you wire together nodes using a graphical interface. You can also edit JavaScript functions, templates, and JSON data within the editor.
NodesThe building blocks of a flow. Nodes have inputs, outputs, properties, and icons. They can represent hardware devices, web services, APIs, logic operations, data transformations, etc.
FlowsA collection of nodes that are connected together to perform a task or an application. Flows are stored using JSON format and can be easily imported and exported.
DashboardA set of nodes that allow you to create user interfaces for your flows. You can create buttons, sliders, charts, gauges, forms, etc., and display them in a web browser.
ProjectsA feature that allows you to manage your flows as version-controlled projects. You can also integrate your projects with Git repositories for backup and collaboration.
Node-RED use cases and examples
Node-RED can be used for a variety of applications, such as:
IOT: You can connect sensors, actuators, cameras, etc., to Node-RED and create flows that process data from them or control them remotely.
Data analysis: You can use Node-RED to collect data from various sources, such as databases, APIs, web services, - social media, etc., and perform analysis, visualization, or machine learning on them.
Automation: You can use Node-RED to automate tasks, such as sending emails, notifications, alerts, etc., based on certain triggers or conditions.
Web development: You can use Node-RED to create web applications, such as chatbots, APIs, webhooks, etc., using the HTTP nodes and the dashboard nodes.
And more: You can use Node-RED for anything that involves connecting and processing data from different sources and services.
Some examples of Node-RED flows are:
A flow that monitors the temperature and humidity of a room using a Raspberry Pi and a DHT11 sensor, and displays the data on a dashboard.
A flow that uses the IBM Watson Text to Speech service to convert text messages into audio files and play them on a speaker.
A flow that uses the Google Maps API to get the distance and travel time between two locations and display them on a map.
A flow that uses the Twitter API to search for tweets containing a keyword and display them on a dashboard.
A flow that uses the Spotify API to control the playback of music on a device.
How to install Node.js and npm on Windows
Before you can install Node-RED, you need to have Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager) installed on your Windows machine. Node.js is the runtime environment that Node-RED runs on, and npm is the tool that manages the installation of Node-RED and other modules. Here are the steps to install them:
Download and run the Node.js installer
Go to the official Node.js website and download the installer for Windows. Choose the LTS (Long Term Support) version, which is more stable and reliable than the current version. Run the installer and follow the instructions. The installer will also install npm along with Node.js.
How to download and install Node-RED on Windows 10
Download Node-RED for Raspberry Pi and create IoT projects
Node-RED Docker image download and setup guide
Download Node-RED from GitHub and build from source
Download Node-RED for Android using Termux
Node-RED tutorial: how to download and use nodes from the palette
Download Node-RED flows and import them into your editor
How to download and run Node-RED on AWS
Download Node-RED for Microsoft Azure and deploy your flows
Node-RED FlowForge: download and run a multi tenant Node-RED solution
How to download and update Node-RED to the latest version
Download Node-RED for BeagleBone boards and start wiring devices
Node-RED cookbook: download and try out recipes for common tasks
Download Node-RED nodes for IBM Cloud services and applications
How to download and configure Node-RED settings file
Download Node-RED nodes for MQTT and connect to brokers
How to download and use Node-RED Dashboard to create UIs
Download Node-RED nodes for Twitter and interact with the API
How to download and secure Node-RED with HTTPS and authentication
Download Node-RED nodes for Google Cloud Platform and access its features
Verify the installation
To verify that Node.js and npm are installed correctly, open a command prompt and type:
node -v npm -v
You should see the version numbers of Node.js and npm displayed. If you see any errors, try reinstalling or updating them.
How to install Node-RED as a global module
Once you have Node.js and npm installed, you can install Node-RED as a global module using npm. A global module is a module that is available to all projects on your machine. Here are the steps to install Node-RED as a global module:
Use npm command to install Node-RED
Open a command prompt and type:
npm install -g --unsafe-perm node-red
This will download and install Node-RED and its dependencies. The --unsafe-perm flag is needed to avoid permission issues on Windows. You may see some warnings or errors during the installation, but they are usually harmless. If the installation is successful, you should see something like this:
+ node-red@2.1.4 added 362 packages from 331 contributors in 67.812s
Run Node-RED by typing node-red in the command prompt
To start Node-RED, open a command prompt and type:
node-red
You should see something like this:
Welcome to Node-RED =================== 21 Jun 11:57:42 - [info] Node-RED version: v2.1.4 21 Jun 11:57:42 - [info] Node.js version: v14.18.1 21 Jun 11:57:42 - [info] Windows_NT 10.0.19043 x64 LE 21 Jun 11:57:43 - [info] Loading palette nodes 21 Jun 11:57:45 - [info] Dashboard version 3.1.1 started at /ui 21 Jun 11:57:45 - [info] Settings file : \Users\user\.node-red\settings.js 21 Jun 11:57:45 - [info] Context store : 'default' [module=memory] 21 Jun 11:57:45 - [info] User directory : \Users\user\.node-red 21 Jun 11:57:45 - [warn] Projects disabled : editorTheme.projects.enabled=false 21 Jun 11:57:45 - [info] Server now running at 21 Jun 11:57:45 - [info] Starting flows 21 Jun 11:57:45 - [info] Started flows
This means that Node-RED is running and listening on port 1880.
How to access the Node-RED editor and dashboard
Now that you have Node-RED installed and running, you can access the Node-RED editor and dashboard using a web browser. The Node-RED editor is where you create and edit your flows, and the Node-RED dashboard is where you view and interact with your user interfaces.
Open a web browser and go to
Open your preferred web browser and type in the address bar. You should see the Node-RED editor, which looks something like this:
The Node-RED editor consists of three main parts:
The palette on the left, which contains the nodes that you can use in your flows.
The workspace in the center, which is where you drag and drop nodes and wire them together.
The sidebar on the right, which has tabs for info, debug, config, dashboard, and context.
Explore the palette, workspace, and sidebar
You can explore the palette by scrolling through it or using the search box at the top. You can also filter the nodes by category using the drop-down menu at the bottom. You can drag and drop nodes from the palette to the workspace to add them to your flow. You can also double-click on a node to edit its properties or delete it by pressing the delete key.
You can explore the workspace by zooming in and out using the mouse wheel or the buttons at the top right corner. You can also pan around by clicking and dragging on an empty space. You can select multiple nodes by holding down the shift key and clicking on them or drawing a box around them. You can also copy and paste nodes using the keyboard shortcuts or the menu options.
You can explore the sidebar by clicking on the tabs at the top. The info tab shows information about the selected node or flow. The debug tab shows messages from nodes that have a debug output. The config tab shows a list of configuration nodes that are used by other nodes. The dashboard tab shows a preview of your dashboard layout and settings. The context tab shows the values of global, flow, and node context variables.
Deploy and test a simple flow
To deploy and test a simple flow, follow these steps:
Drag an inject node from the palette to the workspace.
Double-click on the inject node to edit its properties.
Change the payload type to string and enter "Hello World" in the payload field.
Click done to close the edit dialog.
Drag a debug node from the palette to the workspace.
Connect the output of the inject node to the input of the debug node by clicking on the small gray square on each node.
Click on the deploy button at the top right corner to save and activate your flow.
Click on the blue button on the left side of the inject node to trigger it.
Switch to the debug tab on the sidebar and you should see "Hello World" displayed as a message.
Congratulations, you have just created and tested your first Node-RED flow!
How to troubleshoot common errors and issues with Node-RED
Node-RED is a powerful and robust tool, but sometimes you may encounter errors or issues that prevent you from creating or running your flows. Here are some tips on how to troubleshoot them:
Check the log output for error messages
The log output is where Node-RED prints messages about its status, errors, warnings, and debug information. You can view the log output in the command prompt where you started Node-RED, or in the debug tab on the sidebar. Look for any messages that indicate an error or a problem, such as "Error", "Failed", "Unable", "Missing", etc. Try to understand what the message means and what caused it. You can also search online for solutions or explanations for the error message.
Use the Catch and Status nodes to handle errors in the flow
The Catch node is a node that can catch any errors that occur in a flow and send them as messages to another node. The Status node is a node that can show the status of any node in a flow, such as "connected", "disconnected", "error", etc. You can use these nodes to handle errors in your flow, such as displaying an alert, logging the error, sending an email, etc. To use these nodes, follow these steps:
Drag a Catch node from the palette to the workspace.
Double-click on the Catch node to edit its properties.
Select which nodes or flows you want to catch errors from, or select "all nodes" to catch errors from all nodes.
Click done to close the edit dialog.
Drag a Status node from the palette to the workspace.
Double-click on the Status node to edit its properties.
Select which nodes or flows you want to show the status of, or select "all nodes" to show the status of all nodes.
Click done to close the edit dialog.
Connect the output of the Catch node and the Status node to another node that can handle or display the error or status message, such as a debug node, a dashboard node, an email node, etc.
Click on the deploy button to save and activate your flow.
Refer to the documentation and community resources for help
If you are still stuck or need more help with Node-RED, you can refer to the following resources:
The official Node-RED documentation, which covers everything from installation, usage, development, and deployment of Node-RED. You can find it at
The official Node-RED forum, which is a place where you can ask questions, share ideas, and get support from other Node-RED users and developers. You can find it at
The official Node-RED blog, which features news, updates, tutorials, and stories about Node-RED. You can find it at
The official Node-RED library, which contains hundreds of nodes and flows that you can use or learn from. You can find it at
Conclusion and FAQs
In this article, you have learned how to download and install Node-RED on Windows, as well as how to use it for various applications. You have also learned how to troubleshoot common errors and issues with Node-RED. Node-RED is a versatile and easy-to-use tool that can help you create amazing things with data and services. We hope you enjoy using it and have fun with it!
Here are some frequently asked questions about Node-RED:
Q: How do I update Node-RED?
A: To update Node-RED, you can use npm command in a command prompt:
npm update -g --unsafe-perm node-red
Q: How do I uninstall Node-RED?
A: To uninstall Node-RED, you can use npm command in a command prompt: npm uninstall -g --unsafe-perm node-red
Q: How do I backup and restore my Node-RED flows?
A: To backup your Node-RED flows, you can copy the .node-red folder in your user directory to another location or device. To restore your Node-RED flows, you can copy the .node-red folder back to your user directory and restart Node-RED.
Q: How do I secure my Node-RED editor and dashboard?
A: To secure your Node-RED editor and dashboard, you can enable authentication and encryption using the settings.js file in your .node-red folder. You can find more details on how to do this at
Q: How do I add more nodes to my Node-RED palette?
A: To add more nodes to your Node-RED palette, you can use the Manage Palette option in the menu at the top right corner of the editor. You can search for and install nodes from the Node-RED library or from npm. You can also uninstall or disable nodes that you don't need. 44f88ac181
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