The –inspect flag enables Node.js inspector protocol, allowing powerful debugging with breakpoints, profiling, and real-time code inspection. As the creator of CoreUI, a widely used open-source UI library, I’ve debugged production Node.js services using inspector throughout my 11 years of backend development. The most versatile approach is starting Node.js with –inspect flag and connecting debugging clients like Chrome DevTools or VS Code. This method enables remote debugging, supports multiple debugging clients, and provides full access to V8 inspector capabilities.