What is inquirer.js?

sboudrias/inquirer.js — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-21

★ 21,528TypeScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5Setup · easy

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Inquirer.js))
    What it does
      Interactive CLI prompts
      Node.js library
    Prompt types
      Text input
      Yes no confirm
      Selection list
      Checkbox menu
    Use cases
      Setup wizards
      CLI configuration
      Interactive tools
    Audience
      CLI developers
      Tool builders
    Tech
      TypeScript
      JavaScript Node.js

mindmap root((Inquirer.js)) What it does Interactive CLI prompts Node.js library Prompt types Text input Yes no confirm Selection list Checkbox menu Use cases Setup wizards CLI configuration Interactive tools Audience CLI developers Tool builders Tech TypeScript JavaScript Node.js

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Add an interactive setup wizard to a CLI tool that asks users for their project name, language, and preferences before continuing.

USE CASE 2

Build a multi-step command-line menu where users arrow-key through options to configure a deployment or scaffold a project.

USE CASE 3

Replace hard-coded script arguments with interactive prompts so your developer tool asks for missing values at runtime.

What is it built with?

TypeScriptJavaScriptNode.js

How does it compare?

	sboudrias/inquirer.js	lit/lit	basarat/typescript-book
Stars	21,528	21,531	21,513
Language	TypeScript	TypeScript	TypeScript
Setup difficulty	easy	easy	easy
Complexity	2/5	2/5	1/5
Audience	developer	developer	developer

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 30min

So what is it?

Based on the description and topics, Inquirer.js appears to be a JavaScript/TypeScript library for building interactive prompts in command-line applications, the kinds of menus, yes/no questions, text inputs, and selection lists that appear when a CLI tool needs input from the user running it. It targets Node.js environments and is described as a collection of common interactive command-line user interfaces. The README does not provide further detail about its specific prompt types, API design, configuration options, or use cases, so a complete explanation is not possible from the provided data alone.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

Using Inquirer.js, create a CLI prompt that asks the user for their name, lets them pick a framework from a list, and shows a confirmation before continuing. Show me the complete Node.js code.

Prompt 2

I am building a scaffolding CLI with Inquirer.js. Show me how to chain a text input, a checkbox list, and a confirmation prompt into a single interactive flow and collect all the answers.

Prompt 3

How do I validate user input in an Inquirer.js text prompt so it rejects empty strings and shows an inline error message without re-rendering the whole prompt?

Frequently asked questions