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canirequire › ESM-only › @inquirer/type

Is @inquirer/type ESM-only? Can you require() it?

Inquirer core TS types

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against @inquirer/type@4.1.1. JSON

ESM-only ESM-only since 4.1.0 — last CommonJS version is 3.0.10

@inquirer/type dropped its CommonJS build in 4.1.0 (August 2026). The last version you can require() on every Node.js version, including 18 and older, is 3.0.10, published Nov 8, 2025.

On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and every newer release, require("@inquirer/type") works anyway: Node can load synchronous ES modules through require(). Verified on Node 20, 22, 24, 26. Node.js 18 and older still fail with ERR_REQUIRE_ESM.

@inquirer/type@4.1.1 declares engines ">=23.5.0 || ^22.13.0 || ^20.17.0", so Node.js 18 is outside its supported range regardless of module format.

Latest
4.1.1 (Sep 2, 2026)
Module format
ESM-only
Last CommonJS version
3.0.10
ESM-only since
4.1.0 (Aug 26, 2026)
TypeScript types
Bundled
Node engines
>=23.5.0 || ^22.13.0 || ^20.17.0
Weekly downloads
54.5M
License
MIT

Does @inquirer/type@4.1.1 actually load? Runtime test results

Installed and executed on Sep 9, 2026 with require("@inquirer/type") from a CommonJS file and import "@inquirer/type" from an ES module.

Runtimerequire("@inquirer/type")import "@inquirer/type"
Node.js 18✗ failsERR_REQUIRE_ESM✓ works
Node.js 20✓ works✓ works
Node.js 22✓ works✓ works
Node.js 24✓ works✓ works
Node.js 26✓ works✓ works
Bun 1.4✓ works✓ works

How to import @inquirer/type

ES modules (import)

import type from "@inquirer/type";

CommonJS (require)

// Node.js 20.19+ / 22.12+ / newer (package has no top-level await):
const type = require("@inquirer/type");

// Any Node.js version:
const type = await import("@inquirer/type");

// Or pin the last CommonJS release:
// npm install @inquirer/type@3.0.10

Module format by version

Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (50 versions; the newest 50 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
4.1.0 – 4.1.1ESM-onlyAug 26, 2026
4.0.0 – 4.0.7No JS entry pointNov 16, 2025
0.1.0 – 3.0.10Dual (CommonJS + ESM)Mar 18, 2023

Frequently asked

Is @inquirer/type ESM-only?

@inquirer/type@4.1.1 is ESM-only. @inquirer/type dropped its CommonJS build in 4.1.0 (August 2026). The last version you can require() on every Node.js version, including 18 and older, is 3.0.10, published Nov 8, 2025.

Which version of @inquirer/type still supports CommonJS / require()?

3.0.10 is the last version of @inquirer/type with a CommonJS build. Install it with "npm install @inquirer/type@3.0.10". Every version from 4.1.0 on is ESM-only.

How do I use @inquirer/type from a CommonJS file?

Use a dynamic import: const mod = await import("@inquirer/type"). On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, a plain require("@inquirer/type") also works for ESM packages that do not use top-level await. Alternatively pin @inquirer/type@3.0.10.

Does @inquirer/type work in Bun?

Yes. import "@inquirer/type" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4 on Sep 9, 2026.

Does @inquirer/type ship TypeScript types?

Yes. @inquirer/type bundles its own type declarations; no @types package is needed.

Links

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