Wrangler "requires at least Node.js" version in CI

By Kaveh Alemi·Latchkey

Wrangler refuses to run on a Node.js version older than it supports. In CI the runner may default to an older Node than your machine, so pin a supported version with setup-node before invoking Wrangler.

What this error means

The deploy step fails at startup with "Wrangler requires at least Node.js v18.0.0" (or similar) and never reaches the deploy.

Error: Wrangler requires at least Node.js v18.0.0. You are using v16.20.2.
Please update your version of Node.js.

Common causes

The runner Node is older than Wrangler supports

A default or pinned older Node on the runner is below Wrangler's minimum, so it exits before doing anything.

No explicit Node version in the workflow

Without setup-node, the job uses whatever Node the image ships, which may lag behind Wrangler's requirement.

How to fix it

Pin a supported Node with setup-node

- uses: actions/setup-node@v4
  with:
    node-version: '20'
- run: npx wrangler deploy
  env:
    CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN }}

Match Node to the Wrangler version

Check the minimum Node your Wrangler version requires and pin at or above it, ideally an active LTS.

How to prevent it

• Always pin Node with setup-node in deploy workflows.
• Use an active LTS Node that satisfies Wrangler.
• Bump the pinned Node when upgrading Wrangler.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

References

• Terraform documentation
• GitHub Actions documentation