Everything you need to download, install and run ShowPrompt — from a fresh laptop to a live dashboard in about ten minutes. Follow it once; after that, starting ShowPrompt takes seconds.
server.js and package.json. This came in your download.ShowPrompt runs on Node.js, a free, standard piece of software. You only install it once per computer. Go to nodejs.org and download the LTS version (the recommended one on the left).
.msi installer..pkg installer.That's all you need to do by hand. You don't have to check anything — when you start ShowPrompt in the next steps, its launcher detects Node.js automatically and will tell you if it isn't found.
Unzip your download and put the ShowPrompt folder somewhere easy to find — your Desktop or Documents is ideal. Don’t run it from inside the zip.
Right-click the downloaded .zip → Extract All… → choose Desktop or Documents → Extract.
Double-click the downloaded .zip. The ShowPrompt folder appears next to it — drag it to your Desktop or Documents.
server.js, package.json, a public folder, and the launcher files.This is the easy part. Just double-click the Start ShowPrompt launcher in the folder — it installs what it needs on the first run, then starts the server and opens your browser automatically. No terminal, no commands.
Double-click Start ShowPrompt.bat in the folder.
The first run installs dependencies (this needs internet and takes a minute); after that it’s instant.
If Windows shows a blue “Windows protected your PC” box: click More info → Run anyway. This is normal for a new app and only happens once.
Double-click Start ShowPrompt.command in the folder.
The first run installs dependencies (needs internet, takes a minute); after that it’s instant.
If macOS blocks it with a box titled “Start ShowPrompt.command Not Opened”: click Done (never “Move to Bin”), then open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down to the Security section and click Open Anyway; confirm with your password or Touch ID. Only needed the first time. (Older macOS: right-click the file → Open → Open.)
Start ShowPrompt opens it for you automatically. If you want to open it again in any browser, go to:
http://localhost:3000This is the ShowPrompt dashboard — your home base for opening any mode, the settings, and the displays.
ShowPrompt runs on the Free tier straight away with no key needed — skip this step if Free covers what you need. Pro and Venue are unlocked with the licence key from your order or trial confirmation email.
http://localhost:3000 and click Settings (top-right of the dashboard).The key is checked once online, then the tier badge updates across every page. Activate the same key on each machine you want to license. Once activated, ShowPrompt stays unlocked offline — it only needs to reach the internet again periodically to re-confirm the licence.
A controller is the operator’s page; a display is the screen your talent or crew watches. You can run everything from one laptop, or spread displays across the network.
In any controller, click 📺 Open Display — it opens the display in a separate window. Drag that window onto your second monitor and press F for fullscreen. Feed that monitor into your screen or vision-mixer chain as normal. Total kit: one laptop and one video cable.
On any other device on the same network — iPad, phone, smart TV, kiosk, another laptop — open a browser and go to the address shown in the ShowPrompt status window:
http://[YOUR-IP]:3000No software to install on those devices — any browser works. Choose the display you need from the page.
ShowPrompt ships with a Companion module so a Stream Deck (or any Companion surface) can drive timers, cues, recovery actions and more, with live button labels. The module folder is included in your download as companion-module-showprompt.
%APPDATA%\Bitfocus Companion\modules-dev\
~/Library/Application Support/Bitfocus Companion/modules-dev/
companion-module-showprompt folder into modules-dev.npm install.3000.modules-dev, Companion auto-loads the module on startup. Then open Companion’s Presets tab and drag in the ready-made Stage Manager or Recovery button sets.The first time you start ShowPrompt it needs an internet connection for about a minute to set itself up. If that was interrupted, close the status window, check you’re online, and double-click Start ShowPrompt again — it will finish and then open as normal.
If Start ShowPrompt reports that Node.js can’t be found, install it from nodejs.org (the LTS version); on Windows make sure “Add to PATH” stays ticked during installation. Then close the status window and double-click Start ShowPrompt again.
Windows: on the blue “Windows protected your PC” box, click More info → Run anyway. Mac: you'll see “Start ShowPrompt.command Not Opened” — click Done (not “Move to Bin”), then open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down and click Open Anyway, and confirm. (Older macOS: right-click Start ShowPrompt.command → Open → Open.) This only happens the first time.
Most often this is a previous ShowPrompt session still running. Close any other ShowPrompt status windows, wait a few seconds, then double-click Start ShowPrompt again. If something else on the computer is using port 3000, close that program first.
Check both devices are on the same network, and that the IP matches the one in the ShowPrompt status window. Make sure that window is still open and running. If the venue network is unreliable, use the single-machine method — server and display on one laptop, output over a video cable.
Confirm the ShowPrompt status window is still open and running. Displays reconnect on their own within a few seconds — no refresh needed. For a controller, a page refresh reconnects immediately.
Close the ShowPrompt status window to stop it, then double-click Start ShowPrompt again. The new IP appears in the window — update the address on any devices connected over the network.
That mode belongs to a higher tier. Free = basic Conference timer and flash. Pro = full Conference, Broadcast and Talent. Venue = adds Matchday, Worship and Theatre, plus unlimited displays. Activate a Pro or Venue key in Settings to unlock the rest.
Enter the key exactly as supplied, including any prefix and all dashes. Activation needs internet that one time. If a correct key is still refused, contact support at showprompt.net/support — the key may not match this version.
For how each mode works and the full feature walkthrough, see the user guide at showprompt.net/guide. Need a hand? showprompt.net/support.