canirequire › CommonJS › async
Is async ESM-only? Can you require() it?
Higher-order functions and common patterns for asynchronous code
Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against async@3.2.6. JSON
CommonJS CommonJS — require() works on every Node.js version
async ships CommonJS only. require("async") works everywhere. import "async" also works because Node.js and Bun can import CommonJS from ES modules, but only the default export is guaranteed; named imports depend on Node's static analysis of the module.
It also declares a "module" field, so bundlers such as webpack, Vite and esbuild pick up an ESM build for tree-shaking.
Does async@3.2.6 actually load? Runtime test results
Installed and executed on Sep 9, 2026 with require("async") from a CommonJS file and import "async" from an ES module.
| Runtime | require("async") | import "async" |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js 18 | ✓ works | ✓ 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 async
ES modules (import)
import async from "async";Named imports from a CommonJS package only work when Node.js can statically detect them. If a named import fails, use the default import and destructure.
CommonJS (require)
const async = require("async");Module format by version
Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (85 versions; the newest 60 shown).
| Versions | Format | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 0.2.2 – 3.2.6 | CommonJS | Feb 5, 2013 |
Frequently asked
Is async ESM-only?
async@3.2.6 is a CommonJS package. async ships CommonJS only. require("async") works everywhere. import "async" also works because Node.js and Bun can import CommonJS from ES modules, but only the default export is guaranteed; named imports depend on Node's static analysis of the module.
Can I import async with ES module syntax?
Yes. import async from "async" works in Node.js and Bun because they support importing CommonJS modules. Named imports work only when Node.js can statically detect the exports.
Does async work in Bun?
Yes. import "async" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4 on Sep 9, 2026.
Does async ship TypeScript types?
Not bundled. Install the community types with "npm install -D @types/async".
Links
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