Import Hud as Early as Possible

Why Early Import Unlocks Full Power

Hud works by mapping and instrumenting your code at runtime.
When you import it early:

• All of your code is tracked, from the very first function call.
• HTTP frameworks like Express, Fastify, and Koa are automatically monitored.
• Queue frameworks like Kafka and SQS are monitored out of the box.
• You get complete call graphs, accurate durations, and contextual error attribution — right from application's startup.

📘

The earlier Hud starts, the more it sees — and the more insight you get.

How to Import Hud the Right Way

Preferred: Preload Hud with --require

This guarantees Hud is loaded before your app:

node --require ./hud-init.js [YOUR_ENTRY_POINT].js

npx ts-node --require ./hud-init.ts [YOUR_ENTRY_POINT].ts

nest start --exec "node --require ./hud-init.js"

// NOTE: Next.js is not fully supported yet, endpoints data will not be collected

// Create a file called instrumentation.ts with the following code:

export async function register() {
	require('./hud-init.js');
}

//project.json

"my-app": {
  "targets": {
    "serve": {
      "executor": "@nx/js:node",
      "options": {
        "runtimeArgs": ["--require", "./hud-init.js"],
        //...
      },
    },
  }
}

// If using `npm run`, check your package.json and modify the relevant script that runs your backend:
"scripts": {
  "dev": "node --require ./hud-init.js index.js"
}

Or: Import at the Very Top of Your Entry File

Make sure Hud is the first thing imported, before any other module or logic runs.

require('./hud-init.js'); // must come first
// …rest of your app

import './hud-init.ts';   // must come *before* any other imports
// …rest of your app

What Happens If You Import Too Late?

Hud will still try its best — but it may miss important parts of your system.

Pro Tips

1. Always import Hud before any application logic.
2. Use register({ verbose: true }) to debug early imports.
3. --require is foolproof — we highly recommend it.
4. Chat with our support team or email us at [email protected] anytime — we’re happy to help!