Upgrade Node.js

Node has a 6-month release cadence and a clear LTS policy. Falling behind is technical debt that compounds with each missed version. This skill is the upgrade path with concrete fixes for the breakages you'll hit.

When to use

• Current Node version is past or near EOL.
• Want native fetch, test, --watch, --env-file.
• Dependency requires a newer Node (e.g. Vite 5 dropped Node 16).
• Cleaning up workarounds that pre-date a feature now in core (node-fetch, dotenv, etc).

When NOT to use

• Two upgrades back-to-back (16 → 22) on a large app — do 16 → 18 → 20 → 22 incrementally.
• Frozen environment (regulated, can't deploy without recertification) — coordinate with platform team.

EOL dates (the calendar)