diff --git a/.npmrc b/.npmrc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b6f27f13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.npmrc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+engine-strict=true
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 80b0a44f..d6ac940c 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ This workflow uses the `force-cancel` endpoint to ensure stalled runs are termin
 To set up the project locally:
 
 1. **Prerequisites**:
-   - **Node.js**: v22 or higher.
+   - **Node.js**: v22 or higher (enforced by `.npmrc`).
    - **NPM**: v10 or higher (included with Node 22).
 
 2. **Install Dependencies**:
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 55191e03..14b75c49 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ To run **bitvid** locally:
 
 2. Install dependencies:
 
-   Use `npm ci` to install dependencies exactly as specified in `package-lock.json`. This ensures `npx` finds the correct local `tailwindcss` version.
+   The project requires Node.js v22 or higher. Use `npm ci` to install dependencies exactly as specified in `package-lock.json`.
 
    ```bash
    npm ci
diff --git a/artifacts/ONBOARDING_REPORT.md b/artifacts/ONBOARDING_REPORT.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d701b5c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/artifacts/ONBOARDING_REPORT.md
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# Onboarding Audit Report
+Date: 2025-02-11
+
+## Summary
+The onboarding process was audited by simulating a fresh checkout and running the documented commands. All steps passed successfully. To further improve reliability, strict Node version enforcement was added.
+
+## Environment
+- **Node Version**: v22.22.0
+- **NPM Version**: 11.7.0
+- **OS**: Linux (Sandbox)
+
+## Commands Executed
+1. `npm ci` - **PASS**
+   - Clean install of dependencies.
+   - Added 424 packages.
+2. `npm run build:css` - **PASS**
+   - Built Tailwind CSS successfully.
+3. `npm run format` - **PASS**
+   - Checked formatting for CSS, HTML, MD, Config.
+   - No files were modified (compliance verified).
+
+## Configuration Checks
+- **package.json**: `engines.node` is set to `>=22`.
+- **.devcontainer/devcontainer.json**: Uses `mcr.microsoft.com/devcontainers/javascript-node:22`, consistent with `package.json`.
+- **Dockerfile**: Uses `mcr.microsoft.com/playwright:v1.58.0-jammy`. Verified compatible with Node 22 requirement.
+
+## Improvements Implemented
+- **Enforce Node Version**: created `.npmrc` with `engine-strict=true`. This ensures developers are using the required Node version (>=22) during `npm install`/`ci`.
+- **Documentation**: Updated `README.md` and `CONTRIBUTING.md` to explicitly mention the Node version requirement and its enforcement.