canirequire › ESM-only › entities
Is entities ESM-only? Can you require() it?
Encode & decode XML and HTML entities with ease & speed
Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against entities@8.1.0. JSON
ESM-only ESM-only since 8.0.0 — last CommonJS version is 7.0.1
entities dropped its CommonJS build in 8.0.0 (March 2026). The last version you can require() on every Node.js version, including 18 and older, is 7.0.1, published Jan 21, 2026.
On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and every newer release, require("entities") 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.
entities@8.1.0 declares engines ">=20.19.0", so Node.js 18 is outside its supported range regardless of module format.
Does entities@8.1.0 actually load? Runtime test results
Installed and executed on Sep 9, 2026 with require("entities") from a CommonJS file and import "entities" from an ES module.
| Runtime | require("entities") | import "entities" |
|---|---|---|
| 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 entities
ES modules (import)
import entities from "entities";CommonJS (require)
// Node.js 20.19+ / 22.12+ / newer (package has no top-level await):
const entities = require("entities");
// Any Node.js version:
const entities = await import("entities");
// Or pin the last CommonJS release:
// npm install entities@7.0.1Module format by version
Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (36 versions; the newest 36 shown).
| Versions | Format | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 8.0.0 – 8.1.0 | ESM-only | Mar 17, 2026 |
| 4.0.0 – 7.0.1 | Dual (CommonJS + ESM) | Apr 1, 2022 |
| 0.1.0 – 3.0.1 | CommonJS | Jan 14, 2012 |
Frequently asked
Is entities ESM-only?
entities@8.1.0 is ESM-only. entities dropped its CommonJS build in 8.0.0 (March 2026). The last version you can require() on every Node.js version, including 18 and older, is 7.0.1, published Jan 21, 2026.
Which version of entities still supports CommonJS / require()?
7.0.1 is the last version of entities with a CommonJS build. Install it with "npm install entities@7.0.1". Every version from 8.0.0 on is ESM-only.
How do I use entities from a CommonJS file?
Use a dynamic import: const mod = await import("entities"). On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, a plain require("entities") also works for ESM packages that do not use top-level await. Alternatively pin entities@7.0.1.
Does entities work in Bun?
Yes. import "entities" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4 on Sep 9, 2026.
Does entities ship TypeScript types?
Yes. entities bundles its own type declarations; no @types package is needed.
Links
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