Jest module not found error when running React tests

Other Questions NPM
1

I’m having trouble running tests in my React project and getting a module error.

When I try to execute my test suite, I keep running into this problem where Jest cannot be located. The error message shows that the system is looking for the Jest module but fails to find it in the expected location.

Here’s the error I’m seeing:

Error: Cannot find module 'jest'
    at Function.Module._resolveFilename (module.js:469:15)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:417:25)
    at Module.require (module.js:497:17)
    at require (internal/module.js:20:19)

I also notice a warning about node_modules being missing even though package.json exists. Has anyone encountered this before? What steps should I take to resolve this dependency issue?

2

try running npx jest instead of just jest. without npx, it’s looking for a global install that probly doesn’t exist. also double-check your package.json test script - make sure it’s "test": "jest" and not some hardcoded path that’ll break.

3

This exact thing happened to me last month during a project migration. That node_modules warning usually means you’re running the test command from the wrong directory or something got messed up in your project structure. Make sure you’re actually in the root directory where package.json lives when you run the test. Another common issue is having Jest installed globally when your project expects it locally, or the other way around. Run which jest to see where it’s installed. If it shows a global path but your package.json has Jest as a dev dependency, there’s your problem. Also check that your test script in package.json points to the right Jest installation. After updates or moving projects between machines, these paths break all the time.

4

Had this exact issue three weeks ago switching Node versions. The missing node_modules warning plus Jest not found usually means version compatibility issues or bad install. First, check your Node version against package.json engines field. Different Node versions break module resolution even when everything looks right. Run node --version and compare to project requirements. If Node version’s good, clear npm cache with npm cache clean --force then reinstall. Corrupted cache entries cause these weird module errors. Also double-check Jest is actually in your package.json devDependencies - don’t just assume it’s there. One thing that got me: Jest config pointing to wrong test directory in jest.config.js. The module error’s misleading when Jest finds the binary but can’t locate test files or modules in expected paths.

5

This dependency mess is everywhere in team environments. I’ve watched this exact error waste hours while devs manually hunt down missing modules on different machines.

Manual dependency management just doesn’t scale. You fix Jest today, tomorrow someone else hits the same wall with a different Node version or missing packages.

I quit fighting these battles and built automated workflows instead. Code gets pushed or PR gets created? Automation handles the entire test pipeline.

My setup checks Node versions, installs dependencies, runs Jest tests, reports results. No more “works on my machine” because everyone gets identical clean environments.

Latenode makes this dead simple. I built scenarios that trigger on Git events, spin up fresh environments, install exact dependency versions, run full test suites. 10 minutes to set up, saves hours weekly.

It even handles corrupted caches and version conflicts automatically. Your Jest error wouldn’t exist because dependencies install fresh every time.

6

Your node_modules directory is missing or Jest isn’t installed. This happens when you don’t install dependencies after cloning or have a corrupted installation.

Try npm install or yarn install first. If that fails, install Jest directly with npm install --save-dev jest. Still broken? Delete node_modules and package-lock.json, then run npm install again.

Honestly though, I’d set up automated testing workflows instead of dealing with this constantly. These environment issues drive me crazy across different projects, so I just automate the whole pipeline.

I use Latenode to create workflows that check dependencies, install missing packages, run tests, and send notifications when stuff breaks. It hooks into your Git repo and triggers on every push. No more wondering if Jest is installed or if your setup’s broken.

The automation handles npm installs, runs your tests, and gives consistent results every time. Way better than manually fixing dependency issues over and over.