Prisma "Cannot find module '.prisma/client'" in CI

Node resolved @prisma/client but that package re-exports code from .prisma/client, the folder prisma generate writes. When generate has not run, that folder is absent and the require fails outright.

What this error means

The app crashes at startup with "Error: Cannot find module '.prisma/client'" or "Cannot find module '@prisma/client/runtime'", usually right after a clean install in CI.

Prisma

Error: Cannot find module '.prisma/client'
Require stack:
- /app/node_modules/@prisma/client/default.js

Common causes

prisma generate never wrote the output

The .prisma/client directory is created by generation. A build that skips prisma generate has nothing there to require.

A custom generator output path is not present

If generator client { output = "..." } points elsewhere, the default .prisma/client location will be empty and the require path is wrong.

How to fix it

Generate the client before running

Run npx prisma generate after installing dependencies.
Confirm node_modules/.prisma/client now exists.
Then run the build, tests, or app.

Terminal

npm ci
npx prisma generate
node dist/main.js

Point imports at a custom output path

If you set a custom generator output, import from that path and generate to it explicitly.

schema.prisma

generator client {
  provider = "prisma-client-js"
  output   = "../src/generated/client"
}

How to prevent it

Always run generate after install and before build in CI.
Keep the generator output consistent with your import paths.
Do not commit node_modules and expect the generated client to survive.