# How to use doppler with node debugger

**URL:** <https://community.doppler.com/t/how-to-use-doppler-with-node-debugger/118>\
**Category:** Need Help\
**Created:** [February 24, 2021, 5:49pm UTC](https://community.doppler.com/t/how-to-use-doppler-with-node-debugger/118 "2021-02-24T17:49:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![axw](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.doppler.com/axw/32/54_2.png) [@axw](https://community.doppler.com/u/axw)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 5:49pm UTC](https://community.doppler.com/t/how-to-use-doppler-with-node-debugger/118/1 "2021-02-24T17:49:32Z")

</div>

Hi Doppler team,

We are trying to set up our IDE’s debugger with doppler by starting our server with this command  
`doppler -c <config-name> run npx babel-node --inspect backend/index.js`

^ this works on the command line, but the debugger session never starts the server

If we run the debugger without Doppler, with the command `npx babel-node --inspect backend/index.js`, the server starts but we are missing env vars

Have you run into this before?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![brian-vallelunga](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.doppler.com/brian-vallelunga/32/3_2.png) [@brian-vallelunga](https://community.doppler.com/u/brian-vallelunga)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 5:51pm UTC](https://community.doppler.com/t/how-to-use-doppler-with-node-debugger/118/2 "2021-02-24T17:51:25Z")

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Hey @axw does this work for you:

```auto
doppler -c <config-name> run -- npx babel-node --inspect backend/index.js

```

I added a `--` after the `run` argument.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![axw](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.doppler.com/axw/32/54_2.png) [@axw](https://community.doppler.com/u/axw)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 5:53pm UTC](https://community.doppler.com/t/how-to-use-doppler-with-node-debugger/118/3 "2021-02-24T17:53:43Z")

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We tried that, and it doesn’t work.

Here’s what we’re doing now as a workaround -

- we’re running Doppler + the server on the command line
- we’re having the debugger attach to that session on the command line

Our hypothesis right now is that the IDE’s debugger is waiting for some signal from Doppler before executing the server start code. We’re not sure if there’s anything that can be done to fix this, but hopefully this is helpful

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![brian-vallelunga](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.doppler.com/brian-vallelunga/32/3_2.png) [@brian-vallelunga](https://community.doppler.com/u/brian-vallelunga)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 10:53pm UTC](https://community.doppler.com/t/how-to-use-doppler-with-node-debugger/118/4 "2021-02-24T22:53:36Z")

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Sorry for the delay, it has been a hectic day with our launch. While we are looking at it internally, could you try:

```auto
doppler -c <config-name> run --command="npx babel-node --inspect backend/index.js"

```