Fix: npm ERR! code ERESOLVE

This page helps you fix dependency resolution conflicts during npm install.

🔴 Raw Error Log (What You Actually See)

You may see errors like:

npm ERR! code ERESOLVE
npm ERR! ERESOLVE could not resolve
npm ERR! 
npm ERR! While resolving: some-package@1.0.0
npm ERR! Found: react@18.2.0
npm ERR! node_modules/react
npm ERR!   react@"^18.2.0" from the root project
npm ERR! 
npm ERR! Could not resolve dependency:
npm ERR! peer react@"^17.0.0" from some-other-package@2.0.0

If your error looks similar, you are in the right place.

🔍 Why This Happens (Root Cause)

This error occurs when two packages require different versions of the same dependency.

For example:

• OpenClaw requires react@18
• Some plugin requires react@17
• npm can't satisfy both requirements simultaneously

✅ How to Fix It (Step-by-Step)

Step 1 — Use Legacy Peer Dependencies (Recommended)

Force npm to use the older, more lenient dependency resolution:

npm install --legacy-peer-deps

This tells npm to ignore strict peer dependency requirements.

Step 2 — If Step 1 Fails, Force Install

npm install --force

⚠️ Use --force only if --legacy-peer-deps doesn't work. It may cause runtime issues.

Step 3 — Clean Install (If Still Failing)

rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm cache clean --force
npm install --legacy-peer-deps

🔎 Verify the Fix

After applying the fix, run:

npm run start

✅ Expected Result

OpenClaw starts without errors:

> OpenClaw@1.0.0 start
> node server.js

Server running on http://localhost:3000
OpenClaw is ready! 🚀

❌ Still Not Working?

If you see different errors after fixing ERESOLVE:

• Runtime crashes: Try npm install --force instead
• Module not found: Check Fix: Cannot find module

🧭 Advanced Notes

For Development Teams:

Add this to your project's .npmrc file to set legacy mode as default:

This ensures all team members use the same resolution strategy.

🔗 Related: Common Errors Summary | Error Dictionary