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Is bindings ESM-only? Can you require() it?

Helper module for loading your native module's .node file

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against bindings@1.5.0. Markdown · JSON

CommonJS CommonJS — require() works on every Node.js version we test

bindings ships CommonJS only. require("bindings") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. import "bindings" 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.

What to do

  1. require("bindings") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun.
  2. From ES modules use the default import: import bindings from "bindings"; then destructure. Named imports only work when Node.js can statically detect the exports.
  3. TypeScript: npm install -D @types/bindings
Latest
1.5.0 (Feb 27, 2019)
Module format
CommonJS
Last CommonJS version
1.5.0
TypeScript types
@types/bindings
Node engines
not declared
Weekly downloads
24.5M
License
MIT

Does bindings@1.5.0 actually load? Runtime test results

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

Runtimerequire("bindings")import "bindings"
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 1.4.0✓ works✓ works

How to import bindings

ES modules (import)

import bindings from "bindings";

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 bindings = require("bindings");

Module format by version

Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm, corrected where a runtime test of that version contradicted them (19 versions; the newest 19 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
0.0.1 – 1.5.0CommonJSJan 28, 2012

Frequently asked

Is bindings ESM-only?

bindings@1.5.0 is a CommonJS package. bindings ships CommonJS only. require("bindings") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. import "bindings" 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 bindings with ES module syntax?

Yes. import bindings from "bindings" 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 bindings work in Bun?

Yes. import "bindings" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4.0 on Sep 9, 2026.

Does bindings ship TypeScript types?

Not bundled. Install the community types with "npm install -D @types/bindings".

Links

Other commonjs packages

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