Node.js & Express Basics
Node.js lets you run JavaScript outside the browser — on a server. Express is the most popular web framework built on Node. Together they are how you build the backend for web apps: REST APIs, authentication routes, file uploads, and database connections. This course teaches Node and Express through building a real API from scratch.
What you'll learn
Course outline
Free — no account needed
Full course — $69 one-time
Routing and Middleware
Route parameters, query strings, and how middleware works
Environment Variables and Configuration
Secrets, API keys, and config that should never be in your code
Async/Await and Error Handling
Database calls, API requests, and catching errors without crashing the server
Connecting to a Database
Using Prisma ORM to query PostgreSQL from your Express API
Authentication with JWT
Login endpoints, JWT tokens, and protecting routes so only signed-in users can access them
Input Validation with Zod
Never trust user input — validating request bodies, params, and query strings
Deploying a Node API
Getting your Express API live — Railway, Render, and what changes in production
Get the full course
10 lessons — from running your first Node script to a deployed, authenticated REST API with Prisma and JWT.