What causes "package.json does not exist in ${ctx.cwd}" in remix-run/react-router?

Point --template at the directory that actually contains package.json

remix-run/react-router · error · Error

package.json does not exist in

Error message

package.json does not exist in ${ctx.cwd}

What it means

After copying the template into the project directory, updatePackageJSON() requires a package.json there because it rewrites react-router dependency versions and the project name. A template without a package.json is not a valid React Router project, so the CLI aborts with the resolved project path in the message.

Solutions

Point --template at the directory that actually contains package.json
Add a package.json (with react-router / @react-router/* dependencies) to your template root
Re-pack the tarball so package.json sits at the archive root's top level

Example fix

# before: repo root has no package.json at that level
npx create-react-router my-app --template https://github.com/acme/mono/tree/main/packages

# after: point at the actual app package
npx create-react-router my-app --template https://github.com/acme/mono/tree/main/packages/app

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

import { existsSync } from "node:fs";
import path from "node:path";

function templateHasPackageJson(templateDir: string): boolean {
  return existsSync(path.join(templateDir, "package.json"));
}

if (!templateHasPackageJson(templateDir)) {
  throw new Error("Template must be a React Router project containing package.json");
}

Try / catch

try {
  await createReactRouter(args);
} catch (e) {
  const msg = e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e);
  if (/package\.json does not exist in/.test(msg)) {
    console.error("Template lacks package.json — point --template at the app package directory.");
    process.exit(1);
  }
  throw e;
}

Prevention

Author custom templates from a working create-react-router project so package.json is guaranteed
When packing tarballs, keep package.json at the root level (top dir is stripped on extract)
Verify template structure in CI with a check job before publishing

When it happens

Trigger: --template pointing at a repo subdirectory that is not an app (a docs/ folder, an example with only a README); a custom template directory missing package.json; a tarball whose project files are nested one level below the root that strip-1 extraction removes.

Common situations: Pointing at a monorepo root or wrong folder; hand-built templates without a manifest; tarballs packed with an extra top-level directory.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of remix-run/react-router@6beaca3952 (2026-08-18). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ff07dfaccd7007d0. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at packages/create-react-router/index.ts:666

              ? `${command} exited with signal ${signal}`
              : `${command} exited with code ${code}`,
          ),
        );
      }
    });
  });
}

async function updatePackageJSON(ctx: Context) {
  let packageJSONPath = path.join(ctx.cwd, "package.json");
  if (!existsSync(packageJSONPath)) {
    let relativePath = path.relative(process.cwd(), ctx.cwd);
    error(
      "Oh no!",
      "The provided template must be a React Router project with a `package.json` " +
        `file, but that file does not exist in ${color.bold(relativePath)}.`,
    );
    throw new Error(`package.json does not exist in ${ctx.cwd}`);
  }

  let contents = await readFile(packageJSONPath, "utf-8");
  let packageJSON: any;
  try {
    packageJSON = JSON.parse(contents);
    if (!isValidJsonObject(packageJSON)) {
      throw Error();
    }
  } catch (err) {
    error(
      "Oh no!",
      "The provided template must be a React Router project with a `package.json` " +
        `file, but that file is invalid.`,
    );
    throw err;
  }

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