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

The most popular front-end framework for developing responsive, mobile first projects on the web.

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against bootstrap@5.3.8. Markdown · JSON

CommonJS CommonJS on paper — require() failed in our runtime test

bootstrap declares a CommonJS entry only, but require("bootstrap") failed on every Node.js version in our probe: ReferenceError: document is not defined. import "bootstrap" resolves to the same file, so it fails the same way. That usually means a missing peer dependency, a browser-only global, or a package that is not meant to be loaded directly; see the runtime table below.

It also declares a "module" field, so bundlers such as webpack, Vite and esbuild pick up an ESM build for tree-shaking.

What to do

  1. require("bootstrap") failed in our probe on every Node.js version (ReferenceError: document is not defined); check the package README for peer dependencies or setup before relying on it.
  2. From ES modules use the default import: import bootstrap from "bootstrap"; then destructure. Named imports only work when Node.js can statically detect the exports.
  3. TypeScript: npm install -D @types/bootstrap
Latest
5.3.8 (Aug 26, 2025)
Module format
CommonJS
Last CommonJS version
5.3.8
TypeScript types
@types/bootstrap
Node engines
not declared
Weekly downloads
5.6M
License
MIT

Does bootstrap@5.3.8 actually load? Runtime test results

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

Runtimerequire("bootstrap")import "bootstrap"
Node.js 18✗ failsReferenceError✗ failsReferenceError
Node.js 20✗ failsReferenceError✗ failsReferenceError
Node.js 22✗ failsReferenceError✗ failsReferenceError
Node.js 24✗ failsReferenceError✗ failsReferenceError
Node.js 26✗ failsReferenceError✗ failsReferenceError
Bun 1.4.0✗ failsReferenceError✗ failsReferenceError

A failing require() on a CommonJS package usually means the package needs a browser/DOM global, a peer dependency, or a native binary that is not available in a bare Node.js process.

How to import bootstrap

ES modules (import)

import bootstrap from "bootstrap";

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)

// require("bootstrap") failed in our probe on every Node.js version we test (ReferenceError: document is not defined); see the runtime table.
const bootstrap = require("bootstrap");

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 (50 versions; the newest 50 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
0.0.1 – 5.3.8CommonJSAug 28, 2011

Frequently asked

Is bootstrap ESM-only?

bootstrap@5.3.8 declares a CommonJS entry, but require() fails at runtime. bootstrap declares a CommonJS entry only, but require("bootstrap") failed on every Node.js version in our probe: ReferenceError: document is not defined. import "bootstrap" resolves to the same file, so it fails the same way. That usually means a missing peer dependency, a browser-only global, or a package that is not meant to be loaded directly; see the runtime table below.

Can I require bootstrap?

Not in practice. bootstrap declares a CommonJS entry, but require("bootstrap") failed on every Node.js version in our probe: ReferenceError: document is not defined. Check the package README for peer dependencies or setup before relying on it.

Can I import bootstrap with ES module syntax?

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

Importing bootstrap failed in Bun 1.4.0 on Sep 9, 2026: ReferenceError: document is not defined

Does bootstrap ship TypeScript types?

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

Links

Other commonjs packages

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