Babel: Cannot find module '@babel/preset-env'

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Root Cause

Babel is a JavaScript compiler used to convert modern ES6+ code into backwards-compatible versions. This error signifies that Babel is attempting to run a preset or plugin defined in your configuration (e.g., `.babelrc` or `babel.config.js`), but the corresponding npm package has not been installed. This frequently happens when copying Babel configurations between projects without copying the `devDependencies`, or when upgrading major versions of Babel where package namespaces changed.

Fix / Solution

Install the missing Babel preset or plugin as a development dependency using your package manager. Ensure that the package name exactly matches what is written in your configuration file. If migrating from older Babel versions (v6 to v7+), remember that official packages are now scoped under `@babel/` (e.g., `babel-preset-env` became `@babel/preset-env`).

Code Snippet

// ❌ Error triggered by this .babelrc if package is missing
{
  "presets": ["@babel/preset-env", "@babel/preset-react"]
}

// ✅ Terminal command to fix
npm install --save-dev @babel/core @babel/preset-env @babel/preset-react