API surface

The public Node.js API is documented in doc/api/. Each Markdown file maps to a top-level documented module (or, in some cases, a topic page like cli.md, errors.md, globals.md, embedding.md).

This page is an orientation aid; the canonical, version-tracked rendered docs live at https://nodejs.org/api/.

Module → source map

Doc page	JS implementation	C++ binding (if any)
assert.md	lib/assert.js, lib/internal/assert/	—
async_hooks.md	lib/async_hooks.js, lib/internal/async_hooks.js	src/async_wrap.cc
async_context.md	lib/internal/async_local_storage/	src/async_context_frame.cc
buffer.md	lib/buffer.js, lib/internal/buffer.js	src/node_buffer.cc
child_process.md	lib/child_process.js, lib/internal/child_process.js	src/process_wrap.cc, src/spawn_sync.cc
cli.md	(none — flag parser)	src/node_options.{cc,h}
cluster.md	lib/cluster.js, lib/internal/cluster/	—
console.md	lib/console.js, lib/internal/console/	—
crypto.md, webcrypto.md	lib/crypto.js, lib/internal/crypto/	src/crypto/, deps/ncrypto/
dgram.md	lib/dgram.js, lib/internal/dgram.js	src/udp_wrap.cc
diagnostics_channel.md	lib/diagnostics_channel.js	src/node_diagnostics_channel.cc
dns.md	lib/dns.js, lib/internal/dns/	src/cares_wrap.cc
embedding.md	(none — describes embedder API)	src/node.h, src/embedded_data.h
errors.md	lib/internal/errors.js	src/node_errors.{cc,h}
esm.md, modules.md, module.md, packages.md	lib/internal/modules/	src/module_wrap.cc
events.md	lib/events.js, lib/internal/event_target.js	—
ffi.md	lib/ffi.js	src/node_ffi.cc, src/ffi/
fs.md	lib/fs.js, lib/fs/promises.js, lib/internal/fs/	src/node_file.cc, src/node_dir.cc
globals.md	lib/internal/bootstrap/node.js, lib/internal/bootstrap/web/	—
http.md, https.md	lib/_http_*.js, lib/http.js, lib/https.js	src/node_http_parser.cc
http2.md	lib/http2.js, lib/internal/http2/	src/node_http2.cc
inspector.md	lib/inspector.js, lib/internal/inspector/	src/inspector/, src/inspector_*.cc
intl.md	(none — describes ICU integration)	src/node_i18n.cc
module.md	lib/internal/modules/customization_hooks.js	—
n-api.md	(none — C addon API)	src/js_native_api*, src/node_api*
net.md	lib/net.js, lib/internal/net.js	src/tcp_wrap.cc, src/pipe_wrap.cc
os.md	lib/os.js	src/node_os.cc
path.md	lib/path.js, lib/path/	src/path.cc (URL helpers)
perf_hooks.md	lib/perf_hooks.js, lib/internal/perf/	src/node_perf.cc, src/histogram.cc
permissions.md	lib/internal/process/permission.js	src/permission/
process.md	lib/internal/process/, lib/internal/bootstrap/node.js	src/node_process_*.cc
punycode.md	lib/punycode.js	(deprecated, soft-removed)
querystring.md	lib/querystring.js, lib/internal/querystring.js	—
quic.md	lib/quic.js, lib/internal/quic/	src/quic/
readline.md	lib/readline.js, lib/internal/readline/	—
repl.md	lib/repl.js, lib/internal/repl/	—
report.md	lib/internal/process/report.js	src/node_report.cc, src/node_report_module.cc
single-executable-applications.md	lib/sea.js	src/node_sea.cc, src/node_sea_bin.cc
sqlite.md	lib/sqlite.js	src/node_sqlite.cc, deps/sqlite/
stream.md, stream_iter.md	lib/stream.js, lib/internal/streams/	src/stream_base.cc, src/stream_pipe.cc
string_decoder.md	lib/string_decoder.js	src/string_decoder.cc
test.md	lib/test.js, lib/internal/test_runner/	—
timers.md	lib/timers.js, lib/internal/timers.js	src/timers.cc, src/timer_wrap.cc
tls.md	lib/tls.js, lib/internal/tls/	src/crypto/crypto_tls.cc, src/crypto/crypto_context.cc
tracing.md	lib/trace_events.js	src/tracing/, src/node_trace_events.cc
tty.md	lib/tty.js	src/tty_wrap.cc
typescript.md	lib/internal/modules/typescript.js	deps/amaro/
url.md	lib/url.js, lib/internal/url.js	src/node_url.cc, src/node_url_pattern.cc, deps/ada/
util.md	lib/util.js, lib/internal/util/	src/node_util.cc
v8.md	lib/v8.js, lib/internal/v8/	src/node_v8.cc, src/node_serdes.cc
vm.md	lib/vm.js, lib/internal/vm/	src/node_contextify.cc
wasi.md	lib/wasi.js	src/node_wasi.cc, deps/uvwasi/
webstreams.md	lib/internal/webstreams/	—
worker_threads.md	lib/worker_threads.js, lib/internal/worker/	src/node_worker.cc, src/node_messaging.cc
zlib.md, zlib_iter.md	lib/zlib.js	src/node_zlib.cc, deps/zlib/, deps/zstd/

Stability tags

Each section in doc/api/*.md carries a stability marker:

• Stable (2): the highest level of guarantee. Backwards compatibility is preserved.
• Legacy / Deprecated: still works but new code should use the replacement.
• Experimental (1): may change between minors.
• Strictly experimental (1.x): may change in any release.

The doctool (tools/doc/) parses these markers and renders them in the rendered docs and TOC.

Generated artefacts

• HTML and JSON in out/doc/api/ after make doc.
• node.1 man page (regenerated from cli.md by the doctool).
• apilinks.json mapping API symbols → source file URLs.

Adding to the API surface

• New module ⇒ create lib/<name>.js, lib/internal/<name>.js (or directory), register with node.gyp's library_files, and write doc/api/<name>.md.
• New global ⇒ wire it in lib/internal/bootstrap/node.js (or lib/internal/bootstrap/web/) and document in doc/api/globals.md.
• New CLI flag ⇒ add to src/node_options.cc, document in doc/api/cli.md. The flag is automatically reflected in the man page.
• New error code ⇒ register in lib/internal/errors.js, document in doc/api/errors.md.