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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. Markdown · 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 with a plain require()-able CommonJS entry is 7.0.1, published Jan 21, 2026; it declares support for Node.js >=0.12.

On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, require("entities") works with the latest version: Node.js loads synchronous ES modules through require(). Verified on Node.js 20, 22, 24 and 26. Node.js 18 has no require(esm), and entities@8.1.0 declares Node.js >=20.19.0, so 18 is outside its supported range anyway.

entities@8.1.0 declares engines ">=20.19.0", so Node.js 18 is outside its supported range regardless of module format.

What to do

  1. On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, require("entities") works with the latest version: Node.js loads synchronous ES modules through require(). Verified on Node.js 20, 22, 24 and 26.
  2. From a CommonJS file, use a dynamic import inside an async function: const entities = await import("entities"). That works on every Node.js version the package supports (>=20.19.0).
  3. If you need a synchronous require() or run Node.js 18: npm install entities@7.0.1, the last CommonJS release (published Jan 21, 2026); it declares Node.js >=0.12.
  4. entities@8.1.0 declares engines ">=20.19.0", so Node.js 18 is unsupported regardless: upgrade Node.js or pin an older release.
  5. TypeScript: types are bundled; install nothing extra.
Latest
8.1.0 (Sep 7, 2026)
Module format
ESM-only
Last CommonJS version
7.0.1
ESM-only since
8.0.0 (Mar 17, 2026)
TypeScript types
Bundled
Node engines
>=20.19.0
Weekly downloads
204.0M
License
BSD-2-Clause

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.

Runtimerequire("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 1.4.0✓ works✓ works

How to import entities

ES modules (import)

import * as entities from "entities";

Namespace import shown because the ESM entry may have no default export; use named imports for what it exports.

CommonJS (require)

// Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer (verified):
const entities = require("entities");

// Any Node.js version the package supports (>=20.19.0), from an async function:
async function main() {
  const entities = await import("entities");
}

// Or pin the last CommonJS release (declares Node.js >=0.12):
// npm install entities@7.0.1

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 (36 versions; the newest 36 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
8.0.0 – 8.1.0ESM-onlyMar 17, 2026
4.0.0 – 7.0.1Dual (CommonJS + ESM)Apr 1, 2022
0.1.0 – 3.0.1CommonJSJan 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 with a plain require()-able CommonJS entry is 7.0.1, published Jan 21, 2026; it declares support for Node.js >=0.12.

Which version of entities still supports CommonJS / require()?

7.0.1 is the last version of entities with a CommonJS build; it declares Node.js >=0.12. 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?

From a CommonJS file, use a dynamic import inside an async function: const entities = await import("entities"). That works on every Node.js version the package supports (>=20.19.0). On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, require("entities") works with the latest version: Node.js loads synchronous ES modules through require(). Verified on Node.js 20, 22, 24 and 26. Alternatively pin entities@7.0.1 (declares Node.js >=0.12).

Does entities work in Bun?

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

Does entities ship TypeScript types?

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

Links

Other esm-only packages

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