Installing & Creating Your First App

Install Node, install the Angular CLI globally, then `ng new` to scaffold a fresh project you can run immediately.

4 min read Level 1/5 #angular#install#cli

What you'll learn

Install Node 20+ LTS
Install the Angular CLI globally
Scaffold and run an app on localhost

Angular needs Node.js and the Angular CLI. Once both are installed, a single command gives you a runnable project.

Install Node

Angular 20 requires Node.js 20 LTS or newer. Check your version:

node --version
# v20.11.0 or higher

If you don’t have it, grab the LTS installer from nodejs.org or use a version manager like nvm or fnm — version managers are nicer once you work on multiple projects.

Install the Angular CLI

npm install -g @angular/cli
ng version

ng version prints the CLI version and the Angular framework version it will scaffold. If both look healthy, you are ready.

Scaffold a Project

ng new my-app

The CLI prompts you a few times:

Add Angular routing? Say Y — you almost always want it.
Stylesheet format? Pick CSS, SCSS, or whatever your team uses.
Server-side rendering? N for your first app; you can add it later.

Run It

cd my-app
ng serve --open

ng serve starts a dev server with hot module replacement at http://localhost:4200. The --open flag also opens your browser. Edit src/app/app.component.ts, save, and watch the page update without a full reload.

The Angular CLI →