sirv-cli

3.0.1 verified Sat Apr 25 auth: no javascript

sirv-cli is a lightweight, zero-config CLI tool for serving static files from any directory. It supports HTTP/2, CORS, ETags, gzip/brotli precompressed files, single-page app fallback, and immutable cache headers. Version 3.0.1 requires Node 18+ and ships native ESM via an exports map. It differs from alternatives like http-server or serve by being minimal, fast, and designed for development previews. Regular releases (2-3 per year) with breaking changes infrequent.

Common errors

error Error: listen EADDRINUSE :::8080 ↓

cause Port 8080 already in use by another process

fix

Use a different port with --port or kill the process using the current port.

error Error: Cannot find module 'sirv-cli' ↓

cause sirv-cli not installed

fix

Run 'npm install -g sirv-cli' or 'npx sirv-cli'.

error sirv: command not found ↓

cause sirv-cli not installed globally or not in PATH

fix

Install globally with 'npm install -g sirv-cli' or use npx.

Warnings

breaking Node 18+ required since v3.0.0 ↓

fix Upgrade Node.js to version 18 or later.

breaking Default port changed from 5000 to 8080 in v2.0.0 due to macOS Monterey reserving port 5000 for AirPlay ↓

fix Update scripts or explicitly use --port 5000 if needed.

deprecated HTTP/2 support requires Node 8.4+ but v3 requires Node 18+; --http2 flag still accepted but may be removed in future ↓

fix Use HTTPS with a reverse proxy for HTTP/2 in production.

gotcha HOST and PORT environment variables override --host and --port flags ↓

fix Unset environment variables or use flags exclusively.

gotcha By default server is only accessible on localhost (not network); use --host to expose ↓

fix Add --host flag to allow network access.

Install

npm install sirv-cli

yarn add sirv-cli

pnpm add sirv-cli

Imports

sirv-cli (CLI)

wrong

Running the package directly as a script without npx and missing options

correct

npx sirv-cli [dir]

This is a CLI tool, not a library; install globally or use npx.

Quickstart

Install sirv-cli globally and start a dev server on port 8080.

npm install -g sirv-cli
sirv --port 8080 --dev
# Navigate to http://localhost:8080