App product name cannot start with a number. Please change t

Error message

App product name cannot start with a number. Please change the "productName" prop in your /package.json then try again.

What it means

Cordova/iOS app identifiers and display names can't safely start with a digit, so before scaffolding Cordova mode Quasar validates the app name (productName, falling back to package.json name). A name starting with [0-9] aborts the add with this warning.

Source

Thrown at app-vite/lib/modes/cordova/cordova-installation.js:52

      )
      warn()
      process.exit(1)
    }

    if (target) {
      await ensureModeDeps('cordova', ctx)
      await addPlatform(appPaths, target)
    } else if (silent !== true) {
      warn('Cordova support detected already. Aborting.')
    }

    return
  }

  const appName = appPkg.productName || appPkg.name || 'Quasar App'

  if (/^[0-9]/.test(appName)) {
    warn(
      'App product name cannot start with a number. ' +
        'Please change the "productName" prop in your /package.json then try again.'
    )
    return
  }

  const promptSession = await createPromptSession('Installing Cordova Mode...')

  const answer = {
    appId: await resolvePromptAnswer({
      promptSession,
      value: appId,
      validate: val => {
        if (!val) return 'The app id cannot be empty'
      },
      fallback: defaultAppId,
      fallbackNote: `Using "${defaultAppId}" as the app id.`,
      question: () =>

View on GitHub (pinned to 4841521b5f)

Solutions

Add or change "productName" in your /package.json to a name starting with a letter (productName overrides name for display purposes).
If you can't change productName, rename the package "name" field to start with a letter before running quasar mode add cordova.
Remember productName is also used in capacitor/electron modes — keep it a valid app display name (letters first, no leading digits).

Example fix

// package.json — before
{ "name": "4cast-app" }
// after
{ "name": "4cast-app", "productName": "Forecast App" }

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

const pkg = require(process.cwd() + '/package.json');
const appName = pkg.productName || pkg.name || '';
if (/^[0-9]/.test(appName)) {
  throw new Error(`productName "${appName}" starts with a digit — fix /package.json before quasar mode add cordova`);
}

Prevention

Always set an explicit productName in package.json that starts with a letter.
Validate package.json name/productName in CI before running mode-add commands.
Keep the npm `name` lowercase/URL-safe and the productName human-friendly, both letter-initial.

When it happens

Trigger: addMode in cordova-installation.js: /^[0-9]/.test(appName) is true where appName = appPkg.productName || appPkg.name || 'Quasar App', when running quasar mode add cordova.

Common situations: package.json "name" like "4cast-app" or "3dviewer" without a productName set; productName accidentally numeric after a rename; auto-generated npm packages with digit-leading names.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of quasarframework/quasar@4841521b5f (2026-08-30). Data as JSON: /api/errors/71f270846c56a78b. Report an issue: GitHub.