A recruiter asked me for my salary expectations early in the process. What should I say?

Ideally, deflect and ask about their budget or range. If pushed, you can provide a directional range based on market data without committing to a number — something like "based on my research, roles like this typically fall between X and Y, but I'd want to learn more about the full package before landing on a number." Giving a rough range is okay as a starting point; it's not binding and won't hurt you if their range is actually higher.