How to use nodejs to open default browser and navigate to a specific URL

Use open (formerly known as opn) because it will handle the cross platform issue. To install:

$ npm install open

To use:

const open = require('open');

// opens the url in the default browser 
open('http://sindresorhus.com');
 
// specify the app to open in 
open('http://sindresorhus.com', {app: 'firefox'});

var url = 'http://localhost';
var start = (process.platform == 'darwin'? 'open': process.platform == 'win32'? 'start': 'xdg-open');
require('child_process').exec(start + ' ' + url);

node-open is deprecated. Now use open:

const open = require('open')

await open('http://sindresorhus.com') // Opens the url in the default browser

await open('http://sindresorhus.com', {app: 'firefox'}) // Specify the app to open in

Windows + Express

app.listen(3000, ()=>{
    require('child_process').exec('start http://localhost:3000/');
});

Install:

$ npm install open

Usage:

const open = require('open');
 
(async () => {
    // Opens the image in the default image viewer and waits for the opened app to quit.
    await open('unicorn.png', {wait: true});
    console.log('The image viewer app quit');
 
    // Opens the URL in the default browser.
    await open('https://sindresorhus.com');
 
    // Opens the URL in a specified browser.
    await open('https://sindresorhus.com', {app: 'firefox'});
 
    // Specify app arguments.
    await open('https://sindresorhus.com', {app: ['google chrome', '--incognito']});
})();

You may need to implement a switch using the value of ...

require('os').type()

And then use spawn("open") or spawn("xdg-open") depending on the platform?

Simply Use

require('child_process').exec('start https://www.google.co.in/');

It's Worked For me.

The easiest and neatest way, IMHO is using an npm package called openurl. Do a npm install openurl . You could try this real quick in your Nodejs REPL

require("openurl").open("http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8500326/how-to-use-nodejs-to-open-default-browser-and-navigate-to-a-specific-url")

You could also send emails with it if the need arises like so; require("openurl").open("mailto:[email protected]")

#!/usr/bin/env node

const url = 'http://localhost'
require('child_process')
  .exec((process.platform
         .replace('darwin','')
         .replace(/win32|linux/,'xdg-') + 'open ' + url));

var url = '\\index.html';
var start = (process.platform == 'darwin'? 'open': process.platform == 'win32'? 'start': 'xdg-open');
require('child_process').exec(start + ' ' + __dirname + url);

Lexa-B’s answer worked best for me, but I was getting “Windows could not locate index.html” error. I was using lexa-b code child_process exec command to open a local webpage within an npm package I was writing. Needed to open an html file in my npm package when running it / opening it from package bin.js with npx command.

All that was needed was to append __dirname to file path to ensure the relative directory path to the file calling the child_process was correct. The child_process was running at the home folder, which is far away from the npx temp file location. __dirname solves that problem and links the two, solving my missing file error.

The open package now forces you to use import tested as of v10.1.0 in Node.js < 22

I don't understand all the details, there is likely a rationale, but it is extremely annoying that you can't just require anymore, instead you have to:

main.js

import open from 'open'
open('http://example.com')

with mandatory "type": "module", in:

package.json

{
  "name": "test",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "type": "module",
  "dependencies": {
    "open": "10.1.0"
  }
}

then it worked:

node main.js

If you try:

const open = require('open')
open('http://example.com')

then it fails with:

file:///home/ciro/tmp/open/main.js:1
const open = require('open')
             ^

ReferenceError: require is not defined in ES module scope, you can use import instead
This file is being treated as an ES module because it has a '.js' file extension and '/home/ciro/tmp/open/package.json' contains "type": "module". To treat it as a CommonJS script, rename it to use the '.cjs' file extension.
    at file:///home/ciro/tmp/open/main.js:1:14
    at ModuleJob.run (node:internal/modules/esm/module_job:218:25)
    at async ModuleLoader.import (node:internal/modules/esm/loader:329:24)
    at async loadESM (node:internal/process/esm_loader:34:7)
    at async handleMainPromise (node:internal/modules/run_main:113:12)

Node.js v20.10.0

If you forget the:

"type": "module",

then it fails with:

(node:67598) Warning: To load an ES module, set "type": "module" in the package.json or use the .mjs extension.
(Use `node --trace-warnings ...` to show where the warning was created)
/home/ciro/tmp/open/main.js:1
import open from 'open'
^^^^^^

SyntaxError: Cannot use import statement outside a module
    at internalCompileFunction (node:internal/vm:77:18)
    at wrapSafe (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1288:20)
    at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1340:27)
    at Module._extensions..js (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1435:10)
    at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1207:32)
    at Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1023:12)
    at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:135:12)
    at node:internal/main/run_main_module:28:49

Node.js v20.10.0

as per: "Uncaught SyntaxError: Cannot use import statement outside a module" when importing ECMAScript 6

Option 2: dynamic import

This works without any changes to anything else:

(async () => {
  const { default: open } = await import('open')
  open('http://example.com')
})()

The default thing is mentioned e.g. at: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Operators/import

Limitations:

• support relatively new in Electron v28: https://www.electronjs.org/docs/latest/tutorial/esm

Option 3: revert to v8

require break seems to be in v9, so going to v8 is a workaround.

  "dependencies": {
    "open": "8.4.2",

Docs

The README has a warning about this mess:

Warning: This package is native ESM and no longer provides a CommonJS export. If your project uses CommonJS, you will have to convert to ESM or use the dynamic import() function. Please don't open issues for questions regarding CommonJS / ESM.

and it links to: https://gist.github.com/sindresorhus/a39789f98801d908bbc7ff3ecc99d99c which explains things a bit.

Tested on Node.js v20.10.0, Ubuntu 24.04.

Can be used with import thusly:

import { exec } from "child_process";

exec('start https://www.google.com/');